


I Came, I Saw, I Conquered

by Psychic101



Series: Turas Tro na Clachan (Journey through the Stones) [1]
Category: Outlander (TV), Outlander Series - Diana Gabaldon
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Married Life, Pregnancy, alternate universe- 1940s
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-02
Updated: 2021-01-07
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:07:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 31,548
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27345559
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Psychic101/pseuds/Psychic101
Summary: In 1746, Jamie sends Claire to the safety of her own time for the sake of their unborn child; only she doesn't go alone. Jamie finds himself an unwilling passenger on a journey in the future and away from his destiny at Culloden Moor. Not only does Jamie struggle to survive in a new world but he also finds himself at odds with Frank who will stop at nothing to take Claire and their child away from him. AU- My take on Jamie goes through the stones. (Currently going through very minor edits)
Relationships: Brianna Randall Fraser Mackenzie/Frank Randall, Claire Beauchamp & Brianna Randall Fraser MacKenzie, Claire Beauchamp/Frank Randall, Claire Beauchamp/Jamie Fraser, Frank Randall/Sandy Travers, Jamie Fraser & Brianna Randall Fraser MacKenzie, Jamie Fraser & Frank Randall, Joe Abernathy/Gail Abernathy
Series: Turas Tro na Clachan (Journey through the Stones) [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1996927
Comments: 113
Kudos: 142





	1. Chapter 1

"But when I stand before God, I'll have one thing tae say tae weigh against all the rest. Lord, you gave me a rare woman, and God, I loved her well." He kissed her soundly. Claire returned the kiss making sure to pour all her love and emotion into that final act of intimacy. Her thumb ran over the ring he'd just given her and she hissed.

"It cut me," she said, staring down at the small cut on her thumb.

"Aye, 'tis a very old ring. Might have a nick or two on it."

Jamie lifted her thumb to his lip and kissed it gently before using his leverage to turn her around. Claire struggled against the weight of his body pressing against her back. Jamie slowly pulled her hands towards the stone as his lips peppered kisses to the back of her hair. She knew it was useless. Knew he was much stronger than her and once he set his mind to something there was no changing it. She would be going through the stones. He would make sure of it.

"Jamie," she whispered, leaning her head back against his chest.

"I love ye, Claire. Dinna ever forget."

"I won't," she assured him. She closed her eyes once she could feel the heat coming from the stones. Any moment now and she would touch them, be gone from him. Then suddenly her hands stopped. Jamie froze behind her and she could feel his heartbeat in her own body. "Jamie?" she whispered.

"I can't," he gasped.

"What?" she tried to turn but his hold on her hands prevented her from facing him. His body was rock hard behind her and his grip on her hands tightened.

"I ken I should, but I canna bring myself tae do it." Before she could open her mouth to speak the blast of a cannon sounded somewhere behind them reminding them of the battle below and knocking Jamie back to his senses. 

It was no or never.

"Goodbye, Claire." he whispered, placing a final kiss to the top of her hair.

"Jamie, no!"

He held her hands back towards the stone and when he loosened his grip she tightened hers causing them both to fall forward.

The sounds echoed in her ears. The sounds of those who didn't make it through the stones, the unlucky ones, unlike her, or so it seemed. Her head felt light and she didn't dare open her eyes fearing the sensation of twisting and turning would only worsen. Her body moved faster as the screams got louder. Had she joined them? Would some other traveler hear her voice shouting at them through this relentless chasm of darkness?

She received her answer with a hard thump as her body landed on some solid surface. Pain erupted in the back of her skull and her spine felt like it had been torn in two. She splayed her fingers next to her to try and regain some semblance of control; her fingers gripped small blades, and the smell was unmistakable. Grass.

Claire opened her eyes and found a pale clear blue sky above her. She'd made it. She sat up quickly and instantly regretted the motion as the pounding in her head increased. Claire looked around her, it was clear she was still in Scotland at Craigh Na Dun, the stones assured her of that much. But when? Claire carefully stood using the stone to guide her in her efforts. She gulped and wrapped her arms around her middle. She'd done as he asked. Gone back to her own time, left him for the safety of herself and their child. Jamie…

She had to find out what happened to him. He was more than willing to die at Culloden Moor and Claire hoped that Jamie's fate would be recorded somewhere. He wasn't the only James Fraser present at the battle, Claire knew of at least two others, but his rank, his closeness to the Bonnie Prince had to mean he would be remembered. Surely Red Jamie's death would have been written down by the British. She had to find out what happened to him, but first, she needed to get to Inverness.

Claire slowly walked down the grassy hill, staring in the distance where she and Jamie had once set up camp. She could almost see the smoke, his beacon to her and it brought a smile to her face. At least she still had her memories. Claire focused on the smoke, stumbling towards it, not paying any mind when something caught her foot. Claire reached down not bothering to look until she felt the fabric in her hands. It was a tartan, a Fraser tartan.

"Jamie?" she looked around. It was only a moment before she spotted him, his bright red hair made him stand out amongst the green of the grass, he laid unmoving on his side. "Jamie!" she ran towards him. She fell to her knees beside him and rolled him onto his back pressing two fingers to his neck letting out a sigh of relief when she felt his artery thump against her fingertips. She began to take mental notes of his injuries. He had a large gash on the right side of his temple, bruises were already forming on his arms and legs, but he was breathing. He was alive. Claire breathed out a sob and kissed his lips.

"Jamie," she smiled down at him. If they were together then it hadn't worked. She hadn't gone through the stones after all. But since she couldn't hear any cannons or gunshots, the battle must be done, the Highlanders had lost. It had to be the day after at the very least or days at the most. That would explain her disorientation. Days of lying under the sun in the heat made her hallucinate and dehydrated. And Jamie… he must've been knocked unconscious. He was a restless sleeper and simply rolled down the hill until he came to a stop at the base.

"Jamie, wake up." She shook him gently. Despite his injuries, he looked peaceful, and with all the stress he'd been under lately, Claire almost hated herself for having to wake him up. But the Redcoats could come at any moment and Jamie would be instantly recognized as a Highlander. She had to get him as far from the stones and Culloden Moor as she could. They weren't safe here. "Jamie, please."

Claire briefly contemplated dragging him into the small batch of woods but decided against it, his large frame would be too much for her, especially with her current state. No, he needed to move himself. Thankfully, Jamie hadn't lost his canteen during his tumble and she used it to wet her dry throat. The water was warm but still felt nice as it slid down to her gullet. She took another small sip before pouring half the bottle on his face.

"Christ!" Jamie shouted, jumping up the moment the liquid touched his face.

"Jamie," she cupped his cheek. "Go slow, you probably have a concussion."

His eyes narrowed, "Claire? No, ye were supposed tae go through the stones. What're ye doing here?"

"It didn't work," she explained using his tartan to dry his face. "we're still here, together, and I wouldn't want it any other way."

"Culloden?"

"The battle's done," she finally sat down beside him. "I haven't seen anyone nor heard a sound besides the birds."

"They died wi’out me…"

"And for that I'm grateful." she gripped his hand. "We've been given a second chance, and we aren't going to waste it."

"Where's the gemstone?" Jamie asked, lifting up her hand.

"What?"

"The ring I gave ye for the bairn, the stone is missing."

"Huh," Claire frowned. Jamie was right, the stone was missing completely from the ring leaving its holder empty. "but I'm not worried about that right now." she said, grabbing onto his shoulder as his body swayed. "You definitely have a concussion, we have to move Jamie, we can't stay here. Not with the Redcoats."

"Aye," Jamie nodded in agreement. He stood quickly and if it wasn't for Claire's hands on his body he would've taken another tumble. "We have tae get out o’ Scotland, 'tis not safe here, especially wi' me by yer side."

"Where can we go?"

"I dinna ken," Jamie wrapped his arm around her splaying his fingers along the small of her back, "I guess we should stop at Lallybroch first. Jenny might have an idea for us, or at the very least we can rest for a while." They took a few steps forward before he stopped. "The colonies, we should go there."

"I hear Boston is nice and it'll be safe for another twenty years, before the revolution." They resumed walking.

"Revolution?"

"Yes, the American Revolution. Britain loses its hold on the colonies and they become their own country, it's magnificent really."

"Aye, so someone finally kicks the Redcoats' arses?"

Claire chuckled, "Yes, it's a long process but it pays off in the end."

"It should have been Scotland."

"I know," Claire sighed. "but I don't think it was ever in the cards, no matter what we did Scotland and the Highlanders were doomed," Jamie said nothing but nodded his acknowledgment. They walked for several minutes in complete silence, Jamie leading the way and Claire trudging behind him. He stopped in front of her with no warning and she slammed into his back.

"What in God's name is that?" he pointed in front of him.

"What's what?"

"The black river."

Claire stepped around him and her mouth opened in shock, "That's a road. A pavement road." Suddenly it all made sense. She felt disoriented because she had gone through stones, not because she was dehydrated. Jamie must've been thrown when they landed causing him to roll down the hill. They heard or saw no evidence of a battle because there was no battle to be found, at least not in this century.

"It worked." Claire gripped his hand and dragged Jamie behind her as she streamlined towards the road. They reached the road a few minutes later and while Jamie stopped before the pavement Claire happily kept going. They were no longer in the 18th century, this was proof.

"Claire, get off o' there. Ye dinna ken what it is."

"It's a road,"

"No, that's no road I've ever seen."

"The first successful concrete pavement road was built in Inverness in 1865, meaning we're closer to my time period than we are yours. It's a road, Jamie." She smiled at him.

"Come here," he pointed at the grass below his feet. "I dinna like ye standing there on that… road, 'tis not safe."

"It's very safe." She grabbed his hands and pulled him onto the tar. "See?" she stomped her feet to show him its stability. "These roads are built to last; cars zoom over them all the time." Jamie kicked at the hard ground beneath his feet.

"I dinna like it, makes no sense."

"Jamie," she cupped his cheeks in her hands. "all of the things I've told you about – cars, television, radio, airplanes – I get to show them to you."

"Aye," Jamie nodded remembering that particular conversation, "the flapless metal birds."

"Exactly." she pulled away from his body and began to walk down the black pavement. Jamie stood in his spot behind her, hand on the hilt of his sword in case anything should happen. He didn't like this new road, and he didn't like the feeling of uncertainty growing in the pit of his stomach. If they were truly in her time, then he couldn't protect her. He wouldn't know how. But the look of pure happiness on his wife's face eased him slightly. He hadn't seen Claire this happy since they'd found Fergus after Prestonpans.

Fergus… the thought of the lad brought tears to his eyes. If Claire's assumption was true, then the boy would be dead for over two hundred years. He would've died alone; without the love of the people he'd come to know as his parents. Did Fergus get over their disappearance? Or did he hate them for not coming to get him as they'd promised? Jamie's heart shattered at that moment. His thoughts were so consumed with Fergus that he didn't hear the sound behind him, or Claire shouting his name.

"Jamie!" Claire shouted trying to warn him.

She had no time to prepare herself as the car barreled into him and set his body flying into the air.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first few weeks of Jamie's new life in 1948 holds nothing but curiosity and feelings of loss for our favorite Scot.

A blinding light was the first thing he saw when he woke up. He'd never seen such a bright light contained in such a small place. Jamie blinked several times tilting his head to move his eyes away from the light above him. His head seemed to be the only thing he could move. Jamie lifted his arms and legs only to find them constrained to the cushion below him, white leather straps holding his limbs in place. Jamie struggled against them, hoping he'd be able to get at least his hands loose, but he couldn't. He threw his head into the mattress below him in defeat. Where was he?

He didn't know where he was but the smell of the room… he'd been here before, at least a place similar to it. Jamie closed his eyes and took a large whiff of the nauseating smell– it reminded him of the place Ian had stayed in after losing his leg. Hospital. He was in a hospital. Hospitals were different now than in his time. He was completely alone, for one, not shuffled off in some corner while tens of men were placed around him. He was sure of his location now, but why?

The last thing Jamie remembered was standing on the road and Claire screaming his name before it all went black. If he was here then she must be too. Their history proved she would never leave him, especially while he was injured. Jamie flexed his wrists again gauging the tightness of the bonds which held him. Then he heard her. His Sassenach. His head turned towards her voice only to see her through the window arguing with a man.

Whatever they were discussing clearly had her upset. Her hands were moving quickly, a habit she fell into when in distress. She would talk for a few seconds only to be cut off by the man to whom she was speaking. His interruptions as much as his words seemed to be the cause of her uneasiness.

"Claire?" Jamie called trying to get her attention. His voice was hoarse and incredibly dry. "Claire?" He tried again but with the same result, she couldn't hear him. Jamie watched as Claire ran a hand through her hair and shook her head. The man disappeared and Claire stiffened with the approach of another, but this one he knew, Frank Randall.

Claire had once told him about the resemblance Frank shared with his distant not-direct bloodline relative "Black Jack" Johnathan Randall. Jamie knew realistically that this man was Frank, he had to be, but that didn't stop the chills from racing down his spine as the man who appeared to be Johnathan Randall, his personal tormenter, reached out a hand and gripped Claire's elbow. She immediately pulled herself from his grasp only for Frank to grab her by her forearms.

Frank held her tight and to Jamie's surprise she listened to what he was saying. She didn't interrupt or look away from Frank, all of her attention was aimed at him. Until Frank pointed at Jamie, her eyes instinctively followed in his finger's direction and their eyes met through the window. Claire smiled and finally pushed Frank away before she rushed into the room.

"Jamie?" she was at his side in seconds.

"Claire," he leaned his head into her hand as she stroked his hair. "Where are we? What's happened?"

Claire's eyes ran down his body before returning to his own, "You were hit by a car, Jamie."

"Car?" he repeated.

"The metal horses," she corrected herself. "It wasn't going very fast, thank God, but it knocked you off your feet, that was a few days ago."

"What about ye and the bairn? Yer all right?"

"We're fine," Claire nodded, placing a hand on her abdomen. Jamie heard the scoff before he saw the source. They turned to the door to find Frank standing just inside the threshold holding a fedora in his hand with a scowl on his face.

"They're not fine," Frank began. "She's extremely malnourished and dehydrated. What? You couldn't be bothered to feed her?"

"A mhic an diabhoil!" Jamie struggled against the straps. "Once I get out o' here you'll pay for those words! O' course I took care of her. What kind of man must you think me to be not to take care of my wife?"

"Your wife," Frank muttered.

"Jamie, calm down," Claire placed one hand on his chest and the other on his shoulder to keep him firmly on the bed. "Frank," she turned to Frank. "Stop before you get him all worked up."

"I dinna want to be here," Jamie said, letting Claire's body weight push him into the bed.

"I know, I know," Claire moved her hand from his shoulder to his hair in an effort to soothe him. "You have a concussion. You need to calm down or they're going to give you another sedative. Please, Jamie."

"All right," Jamie nodded. "For ye, I shall calm myself." Jamie looked over Claire's shoulder to stare at Frank.

"Frank, can you give us a moment?" Claire asked, not turning to look at him.

After a few seconds of hesitation, "All right, but I'll be right outside. Watching." Frank turned from the room and shut the door behind him. True to his word Jamie could see Frank staring at them intently through the glass window.

"We're in 1948, April 16th to be exact," Claire said as she began to loosen the straps from Jamie's wrists. "Time seems to parallel though off by two years."

"Why was I bound?" Jamie asked, rubbing his wrists.

Claire sighed, "The man who hit you with his car drove us to the hospital. Once we arrived, I told them my name, as I'm known here, Claire Randall. Somehow… I can't explain it but Frank saw you, Jamie."

"What do ye mean?"

"He knew what you looked like. After I went missing he and the police believed I'd been kidnapped by some Scottish Highlander, by you, and they put out wanted posters– uh, broadsheets. Your face is on them, and when the staff recognized you they insisted on binding you. It took persuasion from me to even treat you, I couldn't talk them out of the straps, they called the police who in turn called Frank. He arrived only a couple of hours ago." Claire explained taking his hands in hers.

"Och," Jamie tore his eyes away from Frank and looked at Claire. "What did ye tell him?"

"I told him about the stones, Paris, the Jacobite uprising, Prestonpans, Culloden Moor– everything," Claire said.

"Everything?"

"Yes," Claire confirmed. "I told him we were– are, married and that I'm pregnant with our baby. But I don't think he believed me until he saw your sword. After the defeat on the Moor the British disarmed Scotland, they banned all weapons. Apparently, finding a genuine Scottish sword from the 18th century is a rare occurrence, that and our clothes seemed to convince him enough."

"Where is it? My sword?"

"Your sword was confiscated by the police,"

"And my tartan?"

"I'm sorry, Jamie," Claire shook her head. "It must've fallen when you were hit. I went back to try and find it but I couldn't." She cupped his cheek. "I know how important it was to you."

"Aye," Jamie nodded, not bothering to hide the tears that had come to his eyes. Despite his wife sitting in front of him Jamie couldn't help but feel as though he'd lost everything. His family and friends were dead; his culture completely obliterated, only known to those interested enough to look. "I need a moment." Jamie laid back into the mattress and gazed at the blank wall beside him.

"Jamie…"

"Please, Claire, just a moment."

"All right," Claire stood from the bed. "I'll be right outside, okay? Call me if you need me." She went to run a final hand through his hair but he moved away from her touch. Claire walked out of the room and joined Frank to watch through the window.

"Is he all right?"

"Do you honestly care?"

"No, but you do."

Claire bit her lip, "I'm worried, Frank. Jamie is a stubborn man, and though he lives a life of uncertainty he thrives on stability. I'm not sure how he's going to adapt if he will at all."

Claire's fears were valid. Over the next few weeks, Jamie had an increasingly hard time adapting to the world around him. Once he'd been discharged from the hospital, Jamie absolutely refused to step foot inside of a car, Claire didn't blame him since his first interaction with them had ended badly, but walking around Inverness proved to be a bad idea. The city had grown over ten times the amount from his time and Jamie had gotten lost almost instantly. The landmarks, buildings, and roads he once used to find his way all had vanished, only a single familiar place remained; a Catholic church which Jamie insisted on visiting every morning. Claire soon learned that Jamie and cars didn't mix well at all, after five minutes in the car they'd had to slam on the breaks so Jamie had enough time to get out of the vehicle before vomiting. He hadn't gotten in one since.

A new wardrobe had been the first thing Claire wanted to procure for him, and he'd been sorely disappointed by the lack of kilts in the tailor's shop. " _ What kind o’ tailor in Scotland has no kilts?"  _ he'd loudly screamed at the poor salesman. Though he had worn pants in Paris, Jamie preferred the freedom and breeze kilts offered. Claire won the battle on pants but couldn't convince him to wear boxers. He'd taken one look at them and refused to try them on. Claire decided that was one battle she'd let him win outright.

Her favorite moment so far was the first night Jamie had been released from the hospital. Claire had been waiting for days to introduce him to the wonders of indoor plumbing. A hot shower was just what he needed to settle him– he'd practically fallen asleep under the relentless stream. The toilet had been his greatest fascination. After its introduction, Jamie spent the next hour flushing the toilet over and over again watching the basin empty and refill much to Frank's annoyance. Claire refused to leave Jamie's side and Frank refused to leave hers; they were an unhappy trio; though Frank had been somewhat helpful on more than occasion much to her astonishment.

Claire hadn't been paying attention and didn't notice Jamie's newest bit of curiosity until she'd heard Frank yell. She'd whipped around to find Frank holding Jamie's hand inches away from the swirling blades of a fan. Why Jamie thought it a good idea to try and touch sharp spinning blades she didn't know, but she was thankful Frank had stopped him or they would've had to take another trip to the hospital. Claire made sure to keep Jamie in her sights after that. Even though Frank had stopped Jamie from hurting himself, it wasn't a gentle action. He'd gripped Jamie's bad hand, Jamie’s face contorting in pain, until she'd pried them away from each other.

She wasn't an idiot. She knew they hated to be around each other, she didn't miss the constant daggers of disdain eyed back and forth. She also didn't miss the look of jealousy on each man's face when she paid too much attention to the other. They were impossible to balance. In fact, the only other person Jamie seemed to get along with besides Claire was Mrs. Graham. Jamie and she had become friends almost instantly, having conversations in nothing but Gaelic which Jamie was disappointed to find was a dying language. They had only met one other person besides Mrs. Graham who spoke Gaelic and even then he only knew key phrases. Jamie was drowning in a new world and Claire couldn't bring herself to take him out of Scotland, out of his home, as Frank wanted.

Frank wanted to return to their home in England, back to his job and their once shared life. At first, he'd suggested they leave Jamie with Mrs. Graham which Claire had promptly told him off for. Then, Frank agreed to bring Jamie with them to England. They could figure out what to do once they were settled, once she was settled. Jamie talked at first about going back through the stones but Claire reminded him it wasn't a safe place for him, or her, and their child by association. So, here they stayed in Inverness, unsure of their next move. The pressure from Frank built more and more every day and Claire wasn't sure how much longer she could put it off.

She needed time to think.

"Jamie?" Claire stood in the doorway watching him as he turned the dial on the radio. "Don't sit too close, you'll hurt your ears." She walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Aye," he nodded, leaning away from the radio but not stopping the dialing until the tell-tale signs of the 'Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy' played from the speakers. It was his favorite song much to Claire's delight. She often sang him to sleep with the Scottish version she'd created with Murtagh.

"I'll be back," she placed a kiss on his cheek. "Watch him, will you?" she asked, stopping to stand in front of Frank's desk.

"I heard that song enough during the war, it's tiresome." Frank sighed, not looking up from his book. "Must he play it over and over again?"

"Leave him alone, Frank." Claire watched as Jamie happily hummed along with the tune. "It's better than chasing an out of time Scotsman through the square, isn't it?"

"He's not my responsibility," Frank said, finally looking up. "You wanted to keep him, he's yours to look after. I'm only here for you and the child."

"I'm bloody aware," Claire cursed, slamming the door behind her. They'd rented a small apartment while Jamie adjusted to life in the twentieth century, in the middle of a large city. She walked down the street to the corner shop to pick up some groceries for that night's dinner. Jamie had grown fond of cottage pie after the first time Mrs. Graham had made it for them. They had it several times a week.

_ "Potatoes actually saved many Scots from your time, Jamie, some wise farmer planted them before the Jacobite uprising and his farm and tenants survived better than most." _

Claire and Jamie had shared a knowing look. It seemed Jenny had taken her advice and began potato farming straight away.

Claire quickly gathered the ingredients she needed for supper and headed straight back to the apartment. She rushed through the door, arms laden with bags, "Ignore the pregnant woman carrying groceries by herself." She quipped when neither man offered to help her. She placed them down on the small table and wiped the sweat from her forehead. "Jamie, can you cut the vegetables once I'm finished washing them? The sooner we get supper ready the better, I'm absolutely famished." She frowned when Jamie didn't walk over or respond.

"Frank, where's Jamie?"

"He's by the radio, can't you hear it?"

"He's not over here," Claire walked around the room. "Jamie?" She checked the bathroom. "Frank, he's not here."

"What are you talking about?"

"Will you look up from that book of yours for ten seconds to see that he's gone?"

Frank sighed and put the book down onto his desk, "He couldn't have gotten far. He can't drive."

"Jamie!" Claire yelled out the window.

"Stop, you'll attract attention," Frank said, pulling her back into the room.

"I don't care! Jamie's missing and we need to find him. He doesn't know this time, Frank, he's still learning, he's scared of the television for Christ's sake."

"Alright, calm down. I'll call Mrs. Graham and Reverend Wakefield to see if they've seen him, as I said, he can't go far on foot. We'll find him, Claire."

"We better, or I'll never forgive you, Frank, I swear it."


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jamie makes his way to Lallybroch while Claire and Frank search the city.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading everyone! I really apperciate your reviews and time. I'm looking for a beta for this story and possibly any other Outlander work I may write. If anyone's interested let me know!

"I'm bloody aware," Claire cursed, slamming the door behind her. Jamie stood from the radio and walked over to the window to watch as Claire stormed down the sidewalk with her purse in hand.

"Ye should no' speak tae a woman like that," Jamie said, glancing at Frank. "Especially one with child."

Frank sighed turning the page in his book, "I don't need you to tell me how to speak to my wife, Highlander."

Jamie rolled his eyes and went back to his spot by the radio. He absolutely loved the little magic box. When he and Jenny were wee bairns, they would listen to their mother sing as she did her duties around the estate. Their mother always had a smile on her face and a song in her heart. After her death, music had virtually disappeared from Lallybroch. No one else knew how to carry a tune as well as the Lady so the only songs belted were by the birds and drunken men. It was the reason Jamie requested that Claire sing to him, she always said she couldn't sing, but Jamie swore she sounded like an angel. That was his favorite part of this new world; being wrapped in a thick blanket while his wife sang him songs, many of which had words he'd never heard before, but he enjoyed them, nonetheless.

Thinking of his sister broke his heart even more. He wondered more about Jenny than anyone else. Jenny was… had, Jamie kept reminding himself, been a strong-willed woman. She was more than capable of taking care of herself and from what Mrs. Graham had told them the region around Lallybroch had fared quite nicely after the uprising with Claire's warning. That knowledge gave him peace but didn't quench his need for knowledge. He'd asked Mrs. Graham for help tracking down his family in Gaelic when Claire hadn't been paying attention.

She'd agreed to help, but the next time they met informed him that the Reverend– Frank's friend – while a kind man refused to help with any research on his behalf out of loyalty to Frank. She wasn't able to get his books to look for him. Claire understood his need for answers, she wanted them too, but told him it was dangerous to 'chase ghosts'. She thought it was better to let the past stay behind them so they could thrive in the present. He loved Claire with all his heart and would do anything for her– but not this. He couldn't let it go.

He wanted, no needed to know what happened to his family and friends. The only fate he truly knew of was the death of Dougal and this he only knew because he'd been his uncle's killer. Jamie thought the best place to start would be with Jenny and Ian. Since he'd passed on ownership of Lallybroch to Little Jamie, it should have stayed in the family and avoided tenure by the British. They should have been left alone and the land would've been passed down the generations, as Jamie intended.

He hadn't planned to leave, on the contrary, he was actually waiting for Claire to return home from shopping. He'd been developing his argument for days on why they should go to Lallybroch together and see what had become of their family estate. But with Frank so engrossed in his book Jamie couldn't ignore his moment. He slowly stood from his seat and walked right out the door, Frank didn't seem to notice him at all.

Jamie bounded down the stairs and began walking in the opposite direction that Claire had gone in. If he could just find the fountain that marked the middle of the city, he could orient himself from there and make it to Lallybroch.

Claire fell onto one of the public benches as another search for Jamie ended with no results. They'd made copies of Frank's reward poster and asked everyone they passed on the street if they'd seen him, but no one had. It was like Jamie had simply vanished into thin air. Against her better judgment, and with no sign of Jamie after a full day, Claire let Frank report Jamie as missing to the police hoping they'd aid in the search for him. The inspector assured them if they found anything regarding Jamie they would call immediately. Unable to be alone with Frank, Mrs. Graham followed them on their search.

They'd gone to every spot Jamie knew in town, hoping that they'd find him, but they never did. Claire's anxiety grew with every hour that passed without news of him. Jamie had no way of contacting her should he need or want to. She hadn't gotten around to teaching Jamie how to use the phone and even if she had he wouldn't know their number. He would be stuck wherever he was until she found him. She just hoped he'd stay in one place.

"He'll be all right, deary," Mrs. Graham assured, taking Claire's hands in hers and rubbing them together for warmth. "He's a strong man, a Scottish warrior, dinna forget. I'm sure he went off looking for ye, took a wrong turn, and simply lost his way."

"No," Claire shook her head. "Jamie's been to the market with me, he knew that's where I was going."

"Claire!" Frank ran across the street to them. "I just got a call from the police, a farmer right outside of town just reported that last night one of his horses went missing; stolen by a man resembling Jamie."

"He stole a damn horse?" Claire couldn't believe it.

"Faster than walking, and he does hate cars." Mrs. Graham supplied.

"Still," Frank shoved his hands in his trousers. "Even if he is mobile he won't make it far. Horses need rest and water; he'll have to stop somewhere to recharge."

"Where is he planning tae go if he felt the need for a horse?" Mrs. Graham asked.

"He's going home. He's going to Lallybroch." Claire kicked herself for not thinking of it sooner.

"If we leave now, we could catch him on the road, might even beat him there." Frank said opening the car door for Claire, "Well, c'mon." he added at her hesitance.

"No," Claire replied. "I'm not going anywhere with you."

"I'll take ye, Claire." Mrs. Graham told her.

"I guess I'm following," Frank mumbled slamming the car door shut.

The road to Lallybroch was one he didn't recognize. Jamie thought getting to his ancestral home would be easy, he knew the land and could get there from anywhere in Scotland. He assumed starting from the fountain would give him the greatest advantage, after all, Lallybroch wasn't far from Inverness. Two days if he walked quickly and only stopped if necessary, Jamie knew from what Claire told him that a car would be fastest but he had no desire to be in one again, so he walked. He followed the road but always at a distance, he didn't want to chance getting hit again.

The idea hit him as night began to fall. If Claire was with him he wouldn't admit it, but to himself he could, he was lost. He thought the journey to Lallybroch would be the same; the same rivers, hills, roads, trees… but they were different. Where he was expecting to find a river he found a dried-up patch of dirt. Buildings covered once open fields and hills had been flattened. He had no way to guide himself except to trust his instinct.

The moment his eyes found the animal Jamie felt happier than he had in days. Jamie quickly made his way towards the beast but slowed to a brisk walk as he neared the horse to keep from spooking it. Jamie clicked his tongue as he got closer to command the animal's attention. The horse was magnificent; a warm chestnut color with a black mane. The horse didn't back away from him and Jamie was easily able to touch it.

"Aye, yer a beautiful thing." Jamie stroked its muzzle. "How would ye like tae come wi' me? I promise I'll return ye…" Jamie looked around and frowned when he noticed how far they were from the main home. Horses should always be near the house, they were essential to everyday life and needed to be kept close, just in case. His shoulders sagged when Jamie remembered that with the invention of cars horses weren't as needed. They were little more than pets these days.

Jamie ducked low as he made his way towards the farmhouse. He found what he was looking for as soon as he walked inside; Jamie grabbed a saddle and lead off the wall. He had the horse saddled in minutes and had barely hoisted himself up when a shot rang out. Turns out the sound of gunfire hadn't changed in two centuries.

Jamie rode all night, only stopping a few times for the horse to drink and rest. They made it to Lallybroch faster than Jamie had hoped. The guilt of leaving without telling Claire lessened the moment he saw the building in the distance. Jamie didn't know what he was expecting; he knew it was foolish to ride up and see his sister or one of his nieces and nephews playing outside, but he certainly wasn't expecting the building to look as it did. It seemed time and age had been no friend to Lallybroch.

The outside stones were covered in cracks and green mildew. The roof seemed to have caved in multiple spots and the windows were all shattered. Jamie tied the horse to one of the posts and slowly walked up the crumbling steps. He squinted his eyes at the sign hanging on the door:  _ Derelict. Danger. Do not enter _ . Jamie ripped down the thin metal sign and threw it to the side _.  _ The door was just as solid as he remembered, it took several rounds of him slamming his entire body against it before it budged opened. The house was empty. What furniture remained Jamie could barely recognize with all the dust. The air smelled of mold and dirt floated through the air.

The more Jamie took in the place the heavier his heart became. The house had clearly been abandoned some time ago, it looked like no one had been here for years– possibly decades. The beautiful wallpaper his mother had picked out was well worn by time and weather. He couldn't make out the patterns anymore but Jamie knew flowers had once been visible. He carefully made his way up the creaking stairs and ran his hand along the wall. When he reached the landing he noticed that his mother's paintings were gone; he hoped they had been taken by a Fraser or Murray and not by some looter or Lobsterback.

He paused at the threshold of the room just down the hall. Unlike the downstairs this room was completely void; it held nothing but decaying walls and warped floorboards. Jamie couldn't believe that this was the room he'd snuck into as a lad to play with his father's sword; the room he shared with Claire. This room was proof enough that his family no longer called Lallybroch their home. He had no desire to be in the house any longer and he stormed outside, wiping away the tears from his eyes.

"Dammit, Jenny!" He yelled into the air. "How could ye do this? Abandon our home?"

Jamie had no proof of course that this had been Jenny's doing, that Lallybroch fell into such a state of disrepair because of her. Maybe she and her family had been forced to flee or lost control of the property due to hardship. He only knew one thing; Lallybroch was gone. Destroyed with the rest of his memories. Gone with his family. 

Jamie walked up the weed-covered hill and gave a watery smile at the scene before him. 

"At least yer still here Mam." He placed his hand on the stone. 

Whatever or whoever happened to his home had left the graveyard untouched by everything except time. The grass went up to his knees and the trees were overgrown. Jamie might not have been able to read the stones anymore but he knew who each headstone belonged to. His hand was on his mother's, to her left was Willie's and to the right was his father's. His grandmother was in the row above his da and his uncle Irving was next to her. But the stone five feet behind him… Jamie didn't recognize. He pulled up the grass to read the stone. He collapsed after reading the name: Ian Alastair Robert MacLeod Murray.

"Jamie!" Claire yelled opening the car door and stepping outside. "The door," Claire pointed at the entrance of the house. "He's here, Jamie!" She ran inside.

"Claire, be careful!" Mrs. Graham called rushing in after her.

Frank moved to follow them but stopped when he noticed a gate swinging with the wind. Curious, Frank thought to himself. He walked through the gate and up the small hill before coming to a landing covered in weeds and stones; gravestones by the shape of them. The Frasers, like many during their time, had used the land behind their estate to bury their dead. Part of him was curious, graveyards always had been interesting to Frank. What better way to learn of history than from the stones of those who had died from it?

Frank noticed him immediately. Jamie's body was too large to be hidden by the decaying stones and his hair currently reflecting the sun was a beacon. Frank walked over and nudged the man with his foot.

"Highlander," Frank said. "Get up you neanderthal." With another nudge from Frank's foot, Jamie began to stir. "Friend of yours?" Frank asked, nodding to the stone Jamie's hand was on.

"Aye," Jamie nodded, sitting up and rubbing the dirt off his face. "My brother-in-law."

"Ian Murray," Frank squatted and read the stone. "Says here he died in 1778. I wonder what from." Frank stood.

"Does it matter?"

"No," Frank shrugged. "Perhaps not. You truly don't wonder what happened to your family?"

"O'course I wonder," Jamie glared at him. "But yer reverend friend willnae help from loyalty tae ye."

"Ah."

"I wonder every day," Jamie said, breaking the silence that had fallen between them. "I miss Fergus, my sister, my nephews, nieces, Christ, I never thought I would miss my uncles."

"Do you want to go back?"

"I do," Their eyes met across the weeds. "Will ye take me?"

"Take you?" Frank frowned.

Jamie stood from the ground and stopped in front of Frank. "If ye give me yer word that ye'll take care o’ Claire and the bairn, I'll go. We both ken I dinna belong here. Claire… is too stubborn no' tae see otherwise."

"She is," Frank nodded. "You'll truly go?"

"Upon yer word that ye'll care for them. Love them."

Frank extended his hand. "You have it."

"Then ye have my word, Frank Randall, I shall go."

  
  



	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tired of dealing with each other, Frank and Jamie come to blows. Later, Claire and Jamie begin discussing plans for the future of their family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I read all your comments and I completely agree that Jamie and Claire have been off their game since arriving in the 40s. Hopefully, this will make up for it.

"We're here," Frank said as the car rolled to a stop. Jamie flung his body onto the ground and threw up whatever contents had been in his belly. He groaned and wiped his mouth with the sleeve of his shirt before standing up to face the grass-covered hill in front of him. Jamie took a large breath and took a few steps forward but stopped when he noticed Frank following him.

"Dinna follow me," Jamie said.

"I'm simply making sure you hold up your end of the bargain."

"I gave ye my word,"

"That means nothing to me."

Jamie rolled his eyes and together they climbed the hill in silence.

_ "I did hate you."  _

Jamie stopped in his tracks

" _ If I go back, then it will just be like lying in that ditch again, helpless and powerless to move, like a dragonfly in amber..."  _ Claire’s voice rang in his head.

He shook his head and continued to walk up the hill. Claire's was simultaneously the only and last voice he wanted to hear. He wanted to hear her voice while he still could because eventually, he wouldn't remember, just like he'd forgotten his mother's voice he would forget his wife's. Maybe he'd find a similarity when speaking to another Sassenach but it would never belong to his own. Hearing her voice now, his brain replaying their life together as he walked away from her, made him want to turn around.

" _ I promise... whatever happens, ye’ll never be alone again."  _ What a wonderful time to be reminded of his promise.

He stopped at the top of the hill and watched as Frank walked between the stones running his hands over them. Frank hadn't said another word to him but Jaimie could feel his gaze. Frank was circling him, watching him, like a cat before it pounced.

"This is what you wanted? Isn't it? To go back home?" Frank stopped in front of him with a grin.

Jamie's eyes widened. If it wasn't for the airplane flying overhead Jamie would've thought that he was back in his own time, facing Johnathan Randall. They had the same smirk, the same mannerisms. Jamie wondered if it was possible for Black Jack or Frank to be a time traveler; taking the other's place without Claire noticing, truly being the same person. That would explain his eerie hatred of Claire and obsession with him.

"You're getting what you wanted," Frank said.

" _ I'm going to hold you to that, James Fraser."  _

Jamie stood staring at Frank for several minutes, not bothering to say a word. Frank cursed under his breath before rushing forward and grabbing Jamie's hand. 

"Let me go!" Jamie yelled. They hadn't made it more than a few steps before Jamie kicked at Frank. "I changed my mind! I dinna want tae go, I canna leave Claire."

"Oh, yes, you can!" Frank twisted Jamie's hand. Jamie hollered in pain falling onto his knees as he felt one of his fingers snap. "This is my time, Highlander. My wife! And I will no longer stand around and lose her to you."

"You canna lose what was no’ yours." Jamie winced as another one of his fingers snapped. He used Frank's distraction with his hand against him and used his other to strike Frank right between his legs. Frank collapsed to the ground and Jamie made an attempt to stand but was instead dragged back down by Frank's grip on his foot.

"You won't get rid of me that easily,"

"I dinna want tae hurt ye, Frank, Claire will no’ be pleased."

"Hurt me?" Frank barked out a laugh. "And who here has the upper hand?"

"I do," Jamie kicked Frank's face, hitting Frank's nose with the bottom of his shoe. Frank let go of Jamie's foot and pinched his nose with a grunt. "Ha!" Jamie scurried away from Frank glancing back to see the stream of blood coming from Frank's nose.

"You bastard!" Frank shouted.

"Me? No, my father maybe, but no' I."

"I'll kill you," Frank said, getting on his feet and moving after Jamie. “I swear I will.”

"You will no' be the first Randall tae try, and ye will no' be the first tae succeed." They stood feet apart both cradling their various injuries. Jamie watched as Frank swayed from side to side and finally fell face-first onto the ground. Jamie grinned in celebration, falling onto his knees and holding his hand to his chest. He'd bested another Randall which made Jamie proud of himself. He laid back onto the ground behind him and took heavy breaths. He just needed to rest for a while then he would get back to Claire, begrudgingly with Frank, but back to his wife. As his eyes closed shut Jamie knew Claire would be extremely unhappy upon seeing him again.

Claire leaned her head against the window and rubbed the dress covering her abdomen. Mrs. Graham was talking away in the driver's seat next to her but Claire was paying her no mind. First Jamie had disappeared, and then Frank. Was she that terrible of a wife that both of her husband's felt a need to get away from her? Claire couldn't help the snort. Two husbands. In this time, with both men together, she was officially a bigamist.

She rolled down the window hoping the breeze and open-air would ease the uneasiness in her stomach. Apparently, she was one of the few lucky women not to experience morning sickness, in this pregnancy, at least. Claire remembered how the journey from Scotland to France and back had been tortuous on both her and Jamie. Her morning sickness and his motion sickness had them sticking their heads over the bow of the ship while Murtagh stood idly behind them not sure what to do. On the way back, Fergus ran back and forth between them trying to care for them both. Claire smiled looking down at her stomach; she could just picture Murtagh making some sly comment about their second child or Fergus preparing to become a big brother. No wonder Jamie was heartbroken.

Communication had never been their strong point, after all, they could have secrets but not lies. Claire made a mental note to speak with Jamie about altering their promise, maybe now with a child and two-hundred years in the future they could have neither. By the time it took for them to roll up on the hill below Craigh na Dun Claire's stomach had eased considerably. The breath she hadn't been aware that she was holding released the moment her eyes laid eyes on Frank's car.

And the giant Scotsman trying to physically move it with his body.

"Jamie!" Claire shouted out the window. He stopped his movements and squinted in their direction. She couldn't tell if he was relieved or scared to see her. "What the bloody hell happened?" She asked, exiting the car the moment Mrs. Graham had parked. "What made you think that running off was a perfectly good idea? And to the stones of all places, what were you thinking?"

"That I dinna deserve ye," Jamie shrugged, leaning against the car. "I thought that ye and the bairn would be better off if I was no' here."

"What could possibly make you think that?" She grabbed his chin when he refused to meet her eye line and forced him to look at her. "Answer me."

He sighed, "I thought… I thought that I was no' supposed tae be here. And maybe I'm no' supposed tae but I remembered one thing that ye said."

"Really? Of all the years we've been married you've managed to get one thing stuck in that thick skull of yours? What is it then?"

"That bad things happen when we are apart." He gave her a small smile. "I'm sorry, Claire, I should'nae have gone. I ken ye were worried, and I won't do it again."

Claire shook her head, "You once told me that you had already forgiven me for anything I could ever do." He nodded. "The same goes for you, Jamie, you're forgiven, but it's not forgotten."

"I understand."

"Jamie," She looked around. "Where's Frank?"

"Och, 'bout that…" Jamie opened the passenger door allowing for Frank's body to tumble to the ground. "Dinna worry, Sassenach, he's alive, at least last I checked. Did ye think my hand came to be like this on its own?" He added in his defense at Claire's look.

"The two of you fought?" Claire rushed over to Frank.

"Aye," Jamie puffed his chest. "I won, ye ken."

Claire put two fingers on Frank's neck and breathed a sigh of relief when she felt a steady pulse. His once pristine white shirt was completely ruined, he was covered in scrapes and bruises but his worst injury was his nose. Claire took the handkerchief that Mrs. Graham offered her and began wiping the blood off Frank's face. 

"It's broken," She said with a sigh. "Did you have to hit him so hard?" she glanced at Jamie.

"Look what he did tae my hand," Jamie held up his hand which by now had turned a nasty shade of purple with two of his fingers bent at odd angles. "He's a fighter, I have tae give him that."

"Jamie…" Claire handed the bloody rag to Mrs. Graham and walked back to Jamie. She took his hand gently in hers and offered him a look of sympathy when he hissed. "It was almost completely healed. Now, we'll have to start all over again."

"See? Bad things happen." With his good hand, he cupped her chin and placed a soft kiss on her lips. Forgetting her anger at him Claire returned the kiss with fervor. She was sure that if Mrs. Graham and Frank hadn't been there later on that night she would've had to clean the grass stains off her back. "I love ye, Sassenach."

"Don't you ever leave me again."

"Never."

"Is there a reason ye were pushing the car instead o' driving it, laddie?" Mrs. Graham asked, moving Frank to lean against the tire.

"I did what I saw Frank do," Jamie looked from Claire to Mrs. Graham. "I sat in the seat and it went nowhere, turned the wheel and everythin’."

"Where are the keys?" Claire asked.

"These things have keys?"

"Yes, they do," Claire nodded leaning down and rooting through Frank's pockets. She held up the small keychain for Jamie to see. "Just like you need a saddle for a horse you need keys for a car."

Jamie nodded with the analogy, "But ye can ride a horse wi’out a saddle, ye canna ride a car wi’out keys? That seems like madness."

Claire chuckled, "I'll mention that to Mr. Starley and Mr. Sutton the next time I see them."

Claire watched Jamie through his reflection in the mirror as he twirled his newly casted arm in front of his face. The ride to the hospital in Inverness had been a long one, longer than the first one where she'd cradled Jamie's head in her lap after he'd gotten hit; because this time, he was awake to complain about it. He spent the entire trip clutching his hand and alternating between cursing in Gaelic and English, he'd even thrown in a few in French out of memory for Fergus.

Once they'd arrived, Frank and Jamie were whisked off to separate wards and Claire waited with Mrs. Graham in the lobby. She'd been called in less than ten minutes after their arrival because the doctors were having difficulties getting Jamie to cooperate. They needed an x-ray but he refused to sit still long enough for them to take one, by the time Claire got to the room he'd managed to hit a doctor and push a nurse. Claire quickly permitted them to sedate him knowing it was the only way to get everything done and to convince the staff to work on him.

His index and middle finger were cleanly broken, almost snapped in half, and Claire found that despite her best efforts of repairing his hand after Wentworth, it had healed wrong. The doctor recommended rebreaking his entire hand and resetting it, with her permission Jamie's hand was broken once more and covered in a white cast to help aid the healing process.

The worst of Frank's injuries was his nose as Claire had predicted. It was set and wrapped; he was done before Jamie's x-rays had been taken. Mrs. Graham was kind enough to drive Frank home and by the time Claire and Jamie arrived Frank was fast asleep on the couch, leaving the bed for the two of them.

Claire smiled as she watched Jamie's hooded eyes open in fascination at the plaster cast around his hand. Due to the sedatives from the hospital and pain medication, Jamie "discovered" this new medical marvel every few minutes. Anyone else might've gotten annoyed at having the same conversation over and over again, but Jamie was doing the best he could, and for that Claire was grateful.

"Sassenach, look," She turned to look at him, "I've been encased in rock." He tapped the cast with his good hand.

Claire rose from the vanity's chair, "You're going to have quite the headache tomorrow," She sat beside him on the bed and ran a hand through his hair. "Your tolerance for medication is very low. It'll build up over time, but I'm afraid until then you'll feel it very strongly."

"Aye," Jamie nodded leaning his head against the wall and resting his arm on his lap. "Is that why I'm so tired?"

"Yes, they gave you…" Claire paused. "Laudanum."

It was the 1940s so they hadn't actually given him laudanum, but tuinal, a drug with similar tranquilizing effects. She wasn't comfortable lying to Jamie, especially about things that affected his health but Claire knew he was in no state to comprehend modern medicine. It was on her list of subjects to discuss with him. 

"Jaimie," She lifted a hand to rest on his cheek. "I know you're incredibly tired but I need to talk to you about something."

"For you, Sassenach, anything." He yawned.

"I think we should leave," She began. "Scotland holds too many memories for the both of us and I don't think you can truly begin to adapt to this time if you're being held back by history."

"Where would we go? I will nae go back to Paris or tae England."

"Never Paris," Claire nodded in agreement. "I was thinking about America, the Colonies."

"The Colonies?" Jamie's brow furrowed.

"Frank got offered a position to teach at Harvard and we could all go together. And I was thinking that when the baby is old enough I could go to medical school. Harvard's already letting women enroll."

"While Frank is teaching and yer in school… I'll be looking after the bairn?"

"It would be helpful, yes, but we'll find you a career, you won't just be stuck inside the house."

"I never told ye," Jamie said as his eyes closed. "But I always wanted tae try my hand at printing, but I was always too much of an outlaw."

"We don't use printing presses anymore but we can find you something. I promise, Jamie."

"Aye," Jamie gave a single nod. "Whatever you say, Sorcha"

"So, we're going then? To Boston?" Claire asked. Jamie's head tilted to the side as the first snores of the night escaped his parted lips. Claire stood and moved him into a more comfortable position before walking over and standing in front of the mirror. She placed a hand on the slight swell of her abdomen and stared at her own reflection. "We're going to America."

  
  



	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Claire, Jamie, and Frank settle into their new lives in America.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Contains suggestive themes and language not suitible for children (one f-bomb)

"Air-plane," Jamie sounded, slowly staring in astonishment at the giant metal contraption in front of him as Claire grabbed his hand. Claire had already gone over every single detail of their upcoming journey numerous times with him. They had multiple stops on their way to America allowing time for both the plane and passengers to refuel. Jamie was to stay with Claire at all times, never to go far and always in her eyesight. Jamie was slightly annoyed that Claire was treating him like a wee bairn but preferred it to the cold shoulder she'd been giving Frank.

Frank hadn't been pleased when he learned that Jamie would be accompanying them to Boston. He'd grabbed Claire– rather roughly in Jamie's opinion – and dragged her into the bedroom. Jamie sat idly by the radio clutching his hand and listening to Claire and Frank as they shouted at each other. Frank stormed out of the room close to an hour later leaving Claire with a look he hadn't seen since their last meeting with Duke Sandringham. Since then, Claire had rarely looked at Frank, putting all her attention and focus on Jamie. Jamie didn't mind, of course, but he was constantly reminded of their situation with his wife's husband trailing behind them. A sentence he thought he'd never say.

They were ushered from the tarmac onto a small staircase before being led up into the airplane. Jamie was immediately aware of the enclosed space and could feel his body tense. Claire had warned him that planes were small and they'd be pushed together, but Jamie didn't know they would be this close. The stewardess led them to the middle of the plane and pointed Jamie to the seat next to the window. He slowly lowered into the seat with Claire sitting beside him and Frank in the row across the aisle.

As the seats around him filled and the plane began to rumble the knot in Jamie's stomach tightened and his breath quickened.

"Mary and Joseph," Jamie whispered clutching the armrests until his knuckles turned white as the plane started its ascent. " _ A Thighearna dìon mi _ …" he shut his eyes.

"It's all right, Jamie, it's okay," Claire covered his hand with her own. "It's all going to be all right."

"How is this even possible?" Jamie rolled his head to look at her. "How can metal be lifted sae high in the air?"

"What you need to worry about is the landing," Frank said with a huff.

"Bastard," Jamie closed his eyes again.

"Frank!" Claire shot Frank a warning. "It's sort of like magic," Claire began, lifting Jamie's casted hand up to her lips to place a reassuring kiss. "The airplane produces forces that allow it to fly. You just need to get used to it, then you'll be better."

"Aye," Jamie gulped, opening his eyes to look out the window. It was such a small movement that Claire wasn't sure she'd seen it at first, but Jamie had indeed moved closer to the window. He placed his hand on the glass, "It pains me tae leave my home. I will be back, I ken it, I have tae."

"I felt the same way when I was leaving for the war on the train," Claire spoke slowly. "As I watched Oxford disappear behind me, I didn't feel whole, like I'd left part of my soul on the platform." She moved her hand to rest on his upper thigh. "We will be back, Jamie, you have my word."

"I'm holding ye tae that promise, Sassenach," Jamie said, moving away from the window. "Distract me, please, since I canna drown my worries in whiskey."

"I've been thinking about names," Claire said, smiling down at her abdomen. "Brian, of course, if it's a boy. After your father."

"Brian is a braw name… then again, so is Dalhousie."

"Never," She smacked his chest with a laugh. Jamie joined her in her fit of laughter and Claire couldn't remember the last time she'd a smile so genuine on his face. Maybe they truly could start anew in America.

Jamie grunted as he lifted the last box out of the truck and began carefully walking up the stone steps to their new home. Claire was watching his every move from her spot on the window nook, offering him instruction whenever she felt he needed it. They'd officially begun moving into their new home a few days prior, it was an old house with good bones, but had become neglected over the years; they got a good price for the work they'd have to put into the property. Work Jamie had spent the last few weeks doing. Frank worked long hours and Claire became increasingly tired, leaving Jamie alone to tend to the needs of the house.

He painted, sanded, mended, oiled, and polished every ounce of the house until it looked brand new. He didn't mind the hard work, it reminded him of his childhood working on the farm and gave him a purpose. Unlike Frank, who was thriving in his new position in America, Jamie hadn't been able to find one. He had his heart set on working as a printer, even managing to get an interview for a small magazine office, but failed miserably once they placed a typewriter in front of him. He had no idea how to work it, only seeing Frank push a compartment back every once in a while. Claire apologized profusely; promising that once the house was done and she was feeling better she'd show him how to use one. Jamie shrugged the experience off, he didn't mind spending his days alone with Claire preparing their new home.

Frank would go off to work and it would be the two of them, just like it was two-hundred years prior. The first few weeks they spent their days painting the walls together, Claire wanted a fresh coat on every wall. Jamie took great pride in his work, carefully masking off each section before adding the newest layer. Claire teased him for his attention to detail, often remarking that they'd be done much sooner if he would just move his arse.

_ "This is no' just for us, Claire, 'tis for our bairn as well. Everything needs tae be perfect, ye ken?" _

That comment had earned him a sweet reward. Claire practically tackled him onto the hardwood floor for a quick intimate rendezvous. Once the painting was done, Jamie moved on to patching various cracks in the wall while Claire started a garden in their yard. Nothing huge, she promised, she wouldn't be growing vegetables, but couldn't shake the habit of growing various medicinal herbs. Next, with the help of an electrician, of course, they'd fixed some of the faulty wiring in the old house. Jamie watched the electrician who upon noticing his interest, happily explained everything he was doing step-by-step. He'd even let Jamie wire one of the lights in the kitchen.

As Jamie walked into the kitchen and placed the box onto the counter, he put his hands on his hips and admired the freshly tiled backsplash he'd recently completed on Claire's behalf. He had a knack for home improvement so it seemed; Claire chalked it up to his natural skills while Jamie appreciated the modern tools. They were much easier to use than an old mason hammer and flimsy wrench.

He stepped aside as Claire walked into the room behind him and placed a vase onto the table, "Perfect." She smiled at him.

"Verra bonnie," He agreed, kissing her temple and wrapping his arms around her. "Ye ken, this may actually be home now."

"That's the point," Claire pulled him closer. "This is our home, Jamie, consider it the modern-day Lallybroch. Though I'm afraid you'll never be a proper laird."

"As long as I have ye, I'll always be laird." He dug his nose into her hair and sighed happily. He loved the special moments between them when they were alone before Frank came home and made everything awkward. "I love ye, Claire, dinna forget that."

"I promise."

Claire slowly walked over to the stove with a hand pressed on her back and reached above to grab the lighter on the shelf. She held the lighter to the gas valve on the stove and turned it on, willing for the stove to ignite.

"C'mon… c'mon… Jesus H. Roosevelt Christ!" She yelled when the stove refused to cooperate.

She slammed the lighter onto the shelf and abandoned her task of cooking to sit on the couch in the living room. Her back ached, her feet were swollen and despite the advantage of modern-day medicine Claire didn't remember feeling this horrible when she was pregnant with Faith. Then again, she spent every day scheming with her husband against the French aristocracy to stop Charles Stuart and his rebellion she hadn’t had the time to notice how miserable she was. Unlike then, she actually had time to focus on her body.

Frank spent more and more time out of the house, which was fine with Claire, they'd finally settled on an agreement. Claire had Jamie; therefore, Frank was allowed to have someone too. He'd recently started dating a student of his on the down-low, the two of them spent an increasing amount of time together; Claire was happy for him. They remained married for legal pretenses only, his job provided them with indefinite residency in America while Jamie worked to become a citizen through law. He had to build a career and life in the state of Massachusetts for six years before he could become a citizen. Jamie had recently started working various handy-man jobs around the neighborhood. He stayed close to home, though they'd been in America for almost four months, Claire still wasn't comfortable with him venturing too far.

Claire sighed and rested her hands on her large abdomen, staring at the space in front of her. Suddenly, like a bolt of lightning, it hit her. She grabbed her keys and left a note for Jamie. An hour later she opened the trunk of the car and began slowly piling logs into her arms.

"Like some help with that?" A voice from behind made her jump. Claire looked up to see their neighbor crossing the street.

"Oh. No, I'm good, thank you." Claire responded but the woman had already begun to take the wood from her.

"Now just you never mind– I remember when I had my first, my back ached something fierce and the handsome, but lazy sack of bones I call a husband would never lift a finger."

"No, really, I can manage."

"Of course you can manage, my dear, but why should you if you can have help?" She took the last log from Claire, "Millie Nelson."

"Claire Fras– Randall." Claire shut the trunk of the car and walked into the house with Millie behind her. Millie placed the wood into the fireplace while Claire disappeared into the kitchen; once the fire was lit Millie sat back onto the loveseat. She watched in confusion as Claire reappeared with a steel rack and stew pot. Claire carefully put the rack over the logs and placed the pot of stew on top.

"Where'd you learn to do that?" Millie asked a few minutes later sipping the cocktail Claire insisted on making her for her help.

"My uncle taught me how to cook over a campfire."

"Sounds dirty. All the ash and soot?"

"It gives the food this wonderful smoky flavor," Claire took a deep breath. "Smell that?"

"Yeah, smells like smoke." They both chuckled. "Your husband must like it, that's all that really matters, I suppose."

"Oh, yes, Jamie prefers food cooked over an open flame, reminds him of home."

"Jamie? The Scottish fellow? I thought you were married to Frank."

"I am," Claire corrected herself. "What I meant is that our tenant, Jamie, spends more time at home with me than Frank does. He might as well be my husband at this point, at least he acts like it."

Millie nodded in understanding, "Tell me about it! Jerry spends all day at work and I just have to have pot roast, meatloaf, or baked beans with cabbage waiting for him when he gets home. He'd have a heart attack if I did anything different," Millie grinned. "Hey, now there's an idea…"

"Jamie appreciates everything I do for him, you see, we're really his only family. Frank doesn't really like surprises as much, but, well, Frank can be very progressive, very open-minded… I'm sure he'll enjoy something different for a change."

"Smells like Heaven in here!" Jamie yelled, announcing his arrival to the two women. He kicked off his shoes and walked into the living room bending down to get a better whiff of the dinner Claire was cooking. "I have no' eaten all day," he placed a hand on his stomach. "I canna wait tae try this." It was then that he seemed to truly notice Millie sitting near him.

"James Fraser," He held out his hand. "I dinna think we've met yet."

"No… we certainly have not."

Claire rolled her eyes as Millie very obviously eyed Jamie up and down.

"What is it that you do, Mr. Fraser?" Millie reached out and placed a hand on Jamie's bicep giving him a firm squeeze. "You clearly keep in good shape."

"Och, I dinna do much. Just work around the house and such, ye ken?"

"Jamie's a handyworker," Claire explained.

"Oh, really? You know, I could use some help around the house, Jerry is useless," Millie laughed. "I'd happily pay you to come by and do some work."

"Aye, I'd be happy tae," Jamie stood stretching his arms and sighing when his back popped. "I'm gonna take a wash. I'll be down soon for supper, Claire." Jamie told Claire. "'Twas nice meeting ye, Millie." Jamie gave her a short bow before walking up the stairs to shower.

"My God," Millie whistled watching Jamie disappear. "How is your husband okay with him being alone in the house with you all the time?"

"Frank is… very trusting." Claire stirred the pot.

"Oh, well," Millie stood from her seat. "I should get going, I have dinner for my husband to start. It was nice talking to you, Claire, we should have lunch soon." Claire stood with Millie's help and walked her neighbor to the door. "And please send that delicious Scot to my house soon, if you don't want to take a bite of him, I will." Millie winked at Claire. "Goodbye now!"

Claire waved farewell before slamming the door shut behind Millie. Her neighbor seemed nice, but her blatant attraction towards Jamie drove Claire mad. She hated that she couldn't claim Jamie as her husband, they had to stick to their story; she and Frank were a happily married couple, and Jamie was simply an old friend from the war staying with them. Claire checked the food over the fire one last time before climbing up the stairs and stripping naked. She walked into the bathroom and pushed open the shower curtains.

"Christ, Sassenach! Ye scared me half tae death." Jamie yelled with his body covered entirely in suds.

"Shut up, and fuck me."

  
  



	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Jamie begins to develop a career, Frank and Claire reexamine the deal they made. The pivotal moment arrives bringing all three together in a way they haven't been before– and never will be again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the longest chapter I've ever written for any of my stories, I believe. Once I started writing I just couldn't stop! I'm still looking for a beta, so let me know if you're interested. It would be for the continuation of this story as well as the next installmant which I've started mapping out. Anyway, thanks so much for all of your continued support, comments and kudos! You guys are great!

Jamie smacked his lips and lifted another spoonful of stew to his lips before shoving it in his mouth hungrily. He was on his second bowl and had no intention of stopping soon, this was the best meal they'd had since the last meal Jenny had cooked for them all those months before Culloden. Claire was right, the smoky flavor of the beef and broth mixed with soft potatoes and carrots reminded him of home. Closing his eyes with the heat of the fire against his skin and Claire behind him, Jamie could've thought they were back at Lallybroch. Their real home.

Jamie sat on the floor with his naked back against the couch while Claire sat almost directly behind him with her feet perched on the ottoman beside him. They ate in complete silence except for the moans of appreciation escaping their lips. Every once in a while Claire would hand him her bowl or empty glass and he would quickly refill them for her; placing a kiss on her cheek with each handoff. As if on cue the bottom of Claire's bowl grazed his hair and Jamie bent towards the pot for another serving. He carefully handed it to Claire and sat next to her on the couch with his bowl in hand.

"That was divine, Sassenach," Jamie smiled at her. "My belly hasna been this full for a verra long time."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it," Claire nodded chewing her food. "I should have done this ages ago with how often that damn stove stops working."

"I second that," Jamie said. "I got a nice sum from Mrs. Jones today. We can get a new one if ye wish."

"A new stove?"

"Aye,"

"It's supposed to be brand new; I'd rather call the company and have them come out and repair it."

"If that's what ye want."

Claire set her now empty bowl on the table next to her and rested her head on Jamie's shoulder. Jamie returned in kind by placing his head on her own and they resumed the comfortable silence as Jamie finished the last of his meal. Once he was finished and the bowl was moved out of the way, Claire grabbed his hand and placed his open palm on the expanse of her protruding stomach. Jamie smiled when a small bump hit his hand and he increased his pressure to get a better feel. The bairn had been moving a lot more recently, seemingly reminding its parents– though mostly Claire –of its impending arrival. This child was certainly more active than Faith had been, kicking her and waking her in the middle of the night. Claire couldn't wait until it was cries that woke her instead of pressure on her bladder or a round of football in her uterus.

"We should go to the department store soon," Claire said, breaking the silence. "We'll want to be prepared for when it arrives."

Jamie stood from the couch and gently pulled her up by her hands, "Speaking o' things for the bairn, I want tae show ye something." Jamie led Claire out of the house and through their backyard to the shed pausing at the entrance. "Wait here," he had her stand feet away from the door. "Cover yer eyes, and no peeking!" Claire did as he said and covered her eyes with her hands.

She listened as the door to the shed opened and Jamie went inside. She heard various rustling noises, a couple of curses from Jamie after what sounded like him tripping and falling before the door swung back open. She could hear Jamie place something onto the ground and he was suddenly behind her slowly moving her towards the object. He took her hands away from her face and with a soft command, "Open." She opened her eyes.

"Oh, Jamie," She smiled at the object before her as tears welled in her eyes. Resting on the ground was a baby cradle. It was clearly homemade and explained the amount of time Jamie had been spending in the shed. The framework was made of oak and Jamie had even fashioned a mobile to hang above the baby.

"'It’s no’ ready yet,"Jamie said, moving around to touch the cradle. "It still needs a mattress, I havena found the straw tae fashion one yet. Some o' the corners need sanding."

"Jamie, it's perfect." She placed her hand on his cheek and brought his face down for a kiss.

"My Da built our cradles, ye ken? We couldna afford one from the market, so he built them and then Mam pained them." Jamie wrapped his arms around Claire. "I wanted tae do the same for our bairns. Keep up the tradition. I wanted tae build one for Faith but… time got away from me."

"A wonderful tradition," They rested their foreheads together. "I can't imagine raising this baby without you. Aren't you glad you fell through with me?"

"More so every day, Sassenach, I canna believe I tried tae send ye back tae Frank all alone."

Claire giggled, "That surely would have been a disaster."

"Aye, I ken it."

"You know," Claire ran her hand down Jamie's chest. "It's Tuesday, so Frank will be with his student all night long."

"Oh, really?"

"Mm, yes. Why don't you bring the cradle inside with us and we can retire to the bedroom."

"Tae bed or tae sleep?"

"I think you know." Claire kissed him and pressed her body against his.

After a few moments, Jamie broke the kiss, "We better get moving before I take ye right here. I dinna care who sees." Jamie picked up the cradle and together they hurried into the house.

"Don't be long," Claire said.

"I wilna'," Jamie gave her a final smile before grabbing his dented toolbox off the ground and walking across the street to Millie's house. He'd been over there quite a bit since his first meeting with Millie and it seemed like every week there was a new repair to be completed. Claire knew the real reason for these "repairs", she was obviously physically attracted to Jamie and was constantly coming up with some new excuse to be alone with him. Claire was completely positive that nothing would ever come of it; Jamie was entirely hers. She also didn't mind the income from his trips to Millie's as well as the sense of purpose he gained from going.

Jamie had come into his own over the past few months and had developed a sustainable reputation as a handyworker. He'd fix, build and paint whatever your heart desired for a low price as long as it was within three miles of their home. His promise and compromise to Claire to stay close to her, at nine months pregnant she felt more comfortable with him close by. She didn't want to find herself once again alone giving birth to a child as she had with Faith. Jamie would be there for this one, Claire was going to make sure of it. Besides, even though the locality of his work wouldn't make him world-renowned, it brought in money and kept him busy during the day. He would come and make supper if Claire hadn't done so already. After dinner, Jamie would knit and listen to Claire talk about her day or some program she'd seen on the television. Sometimes, Frank would join them with a cigarette and a dry-humorous story about some faculty drama. Claire found she enjoyed those nights.

Claire waited until the glimmer of Jamie's red hair disappeared behind Millie's door before she turned and walked into the kitchen. The damn stove had refused to light, again, sending Jamie to work without breakfast and no promise of a hot lunch. She opened the refrigerator and grabbed the glass bottle of milk and eggs from the top shelf and the bacon off the bottom, planning to fasten another meal above the fire if she couldn't get the stove to light. Claire listened intently to Frank's footsteps on the floor above her head. For the first time in months, he wasn't gone by the time she and Jamie were awake. Usually, Frank left before they awoke and arrived after they slept if he came home at all. He spent the majority of his time shuffling between the university and his girlfriend's home. They rarely saw each other anymore. Claire wasn't sure if she was thrilled or disappointed.

She opened the bottle of milk and held it a few inches from her nose, she didn't even need to get a full whiff before realizing it was bad. She tossed the milk in the bin and made a mental note to send Jamie out for some more later that evening when he returned home, hopefully before it began to rain. The sky outside was grey with dark clouds just waiting to burst. It was their first winter season in America and Jamie was excited for their first Thanksgiving which was only three days away. During the war, Claire had celebrated a mini-version of the holiday with the American's in her camp. She found their good cheer quite infectious while Frank thought the history to be Historically fascinating and Jamie simply couldn't wait for the food. They would be sharing Thanksgiving with the Nelson's and Claire hoped that Millie would keep her hands to herself.

Claire grabbed the lighter and to her surprise, the stove ignited with the first click, she managed to light another two with similar ease. She smiled proudly to herself and put two pans onto the front burners and placed a kettle over one in the back, then she began laying out the strips of bacon onto the iron skillet. She turned for the eggs and cracked them above the other pan. At least Jamie would have a hot meal waiting for him to warm up his bones when he returned.

"After eight years of rationing, I believe I could wake up to the smell of bacon and eggs every day for the rest of my natural life," Frank said, walking into the kitchen.

"Sandy doesn't cook for you?'

"She does… but it's nowhere near as delicious as yours."

"It's the last of the bacon I'm afraid. But I'll send Jamie to the market this afternoon to get some more." Claire flipped the bacon in the skillet as Frank sat on one of the chairs and opened the newspaper that was sitting on the table. She turned around and placed bread into the toaster.

"Sleep well?" Frank asked.

"Rather hard to get comfortable these days." Claire moved to grab the whistling kettle but Frank had beaten her to it.

"I've got it," he assured her. He turned off the burner and grabbed two teacups from the cabinet. He poured them with the steaming water and opened the tin on the counter with a sigh, "This on the other hand is an abomination." He tapped the tin container to let her know what he was talking about.

"That's the way they drink it here. They don't sell it any other way. Trust me, I've looked."

Frank lifted a tea bag and sniffed it, "It doesn't even smell like tea after sitting for weeks in these… paper diapers." Despite the awkward tension, Claire managed a chuckle.

"I'd offer you coffee but Jamie drank the last of it this morning, I'll add that to the list."

Frank ignored her comment and continued talking, "I mean, why change something that works perfectly well? Tea. In a tin. Scoop it out. Put in the pot. Is that really so difficult?"

"I suppose not."

"I'll never understand the American obsession with the new." Claire put down the plates of buttered toast, bacon, and eggs and Frank joined her at the table with the tea. "Everything is new, new, new."

"That's one of the things I like about this country. It's young and eager and constantly looking to the future." She took a bite of her eggs and looked up at Frank warily. "I'm thinking of applying for citizenship."

"Really?" Frank asked, putting the newspaper down to face her.

"I grew up all over the world, I've never been that attached to England. And I want our baby to grow up with a real home."

"Our baby?"

"You know what I meant." Claire moved her gaze off him and onto her plate. She was making every move to avoid him to the point that she didn't notice his hand reaching out to touch hers. She jumped when their skin made contact causing Frank to reel his hand as if he'd been burned.

"Well, there's really no need to apply for citizenship. My employment will provide us with residency indefinitely."

"That's not what this is about."

"You're right, it's not what this is about," Frank reached out to grab her hand but she pulled away from him. "It's about that. A wife who hasn't let me so much as touch her in months–"

"Wife?" Claire scoffed. "If a woman won't let you touch her then that's a conversation you need to have with Sandy, not me. I'm not yours to touch."

"You're joking, right?" Frank laughed in amusement. Claire shook her head and left the table before Frank could say another word; to her disappointment, he followed her into the hall. "Don't just walk away. It's time we dealt with this like adults!"

"Dealt with what?" Claire whipped around to face him. "We had a deal, Frank. I have Jamie and you have Sandy. We agreed to that deal and you can't suddenly change your mind, that's not how it works."

"How it works? You were my wife, then you disappeared for three years, Claire. Three years! When you finally returned to me you were pregnant with the company of another man you claimed to be your husband."

"Jamie and I went through Hell together! We watched innocent men, women, and children die for a lost cause completely powerless to stop it. Then, unwilling to lose everything he tried to send me back so we would be safe, but God let him come with us. We left family, friends, a complete life behind – he's more of a husband than you've ever been!"

"Well, I was your husband first dammit and legally still am. I could have that Highlander of yours taken and you'd never see him again, would you like that? Then we'll see who's your husband. "

Claire grabbed the ashtray from the shelf behind her and threw it at Frank who barely managed to duck in time before it smashed against the wall behind him. Frank looked from the shattered pieces of glass to Claire in shock. They stood in silence staring at each other. After a few moments, Frank walked out of the room and reappeared with his hat, coat, and briefcase. He began towards the door but stopped with his hand on the knob.

"I didn't force this arrangement on you, Claire. I didn't force you to come to Boston and I'm not forcing you to stay. You can take your Highlander and leave anytime you wish."

"I never thought otherwise."

"Go or stay, but please do it because it's what you really want to do. Not because of me, or him, or even the baby, but you." Frank put his hat on top of his head and walked out the door leaving Claire alone and shaken at the base of the stairs.

"I really should be goin' before the rain starts poundin'," Jamie said, putting the last of his tools back into the box. He stood up straight and watched as Millie sauntered over to the counter and grabbed her purse. "I can come back tomorrow and finish, wilna' take me long."

"I really appreciate the help, James, if I left it to Jerry nothing would get done around here."

"I told ye, it's just Jamie, no’ James."

"I've always liked the name James," Millie said, closing the distance between them. "Every James that I've known has been good looking." Jamie's eyebrows raised as she stopped just inches away from him, he could smell the alcohol on her breath. She stuffed the money into the front pocket of his pants making him jump.

"Thank ye kindly, Mistress Nelson, but I really need tae go–" Jamie frowned when Nellie placed a finger on his lips to stop him from talking.

"Nuh-uh," She shook her head. "If you're Jamie, then I'm Nellie."

"Yer drunk is what ye are," Jamie said as he grabbed her upper arms and led her towards the couch. "Sleep it off before Jerry arrives home and sees ye like this."

"Touch me, Jamie," she moaned, reaching out for him.

Jamie gently pushed Millie back so she flopped onto the couch before he turned and quickly ran out of the house. He realized he left his toolbox half-way home but decided against turning around to fetch it. Surely Millie would make another move on him and Jamie didn't want to chance it. He quickly ran across the street narrowly avoiding a car as the rain beat down on him. Jamie flung open the door and slammed it shut behind him and he leaned against the wood to catch his breath.

"Frank?" Claire asked, walking towards him.

"No, it's me," Jamie said.

"You're soaking wet, stay there." Claire turned and walked to the linen closet, she grabbed some towels and returned to Jamie. "Strip and dry yourself, the last thing we need is for you to catch a cold."

Jamie did as he was told and peeled off his soaking clothes before drying himself with the towel Claire handed him. "Ye'll never guess what just happened, or ye might, actually. But either way, I'm sure ye won't like it."

"Can it wait?" Claire asked, placing a hand on her stomach. "I'm not feeling very well."

"Is it the bairn?" Jamie dropped the towel no longer concerned with himself and fully worried about Claire. He put one hand on her back and the other over her own.

"The baby is fine," Claire assured him. "My back is aching something fierce though,"

"More o' those braxton hicks?"

"I think so," Claire nodded. "Can you help me to the bedroom?" Jamie wrapped an arm around her waist and helped her up the stairs.

Frank stared at the ceiling above him unable to sleep. Sandy was busy so Frank had no other choice but to go home, as much as he didn't want to. He arrived home with the house completely dark, per usual, and fixed himself a simple sandwich for dinner. There was no plate waiting for him, or any sign of dinner really, not that he expected one after their fight earlier. Claire could be extremely stubborn and Frank was sure it would be a few days before they spoke again.

Not wanting to anger her more Frank prepared the couch and did his best to get comfortable, but to no avail. He tossed and turned for hours before he relinquished the thought of sleep for the night and walked over to his desk. Frank flicked on the lamp and grabbed a paper and pen from the drawer. He sat onto the chair and began to write:

_Dear Reverend, I find myself in need of your assistance once more. I hope you will indulge me in undertaking some research regarding an 18th_ _century Highlander family who lived not far from Culloden. You can start by finding Jenny_

"Frank?"

He spun around in shock to see Claire leaning against the doorway.

"I was just… doing some work. I couldn't sleep… and thought perhaps I should catch up on some–"

"My water broke,"

Frank jumped from his chair and rushed over to Claire. He glanced up to see Jamie hurrying down the stairs with a suitcase in each hand. "I'll warm up the car."

"Taking their own sweet time about it…" Frank mumbled pacing back and forth in the hospital room.

"Patients always feel like it takes forever to be seen. The truth is a hospital staff is usually running from crisis," She cut herself off with a deep breath followed by a hiss as another contraction seized through her.

"I'm here," Frank and Jamie said at the same time, rushing to her side.

"It'll be all right, mo chridhe," Jamie said, kissing the side of her head when Claire finally relaxed back into the pillow behind her. "The doctors ken what tae do." Claire turned her head so Jamie could place another kiss on the skin of her forehead.

"Glad I missed you with that ashtray, Frank, we couldn't have gotten here otherwise."

"Your aim was spot on," Frank smiled. "It was my cat-like reflexes that saved me."

"Be lucky she dinna have a gun, then ye would o' really been in trouble," Jamie added causing both Frank and Claire to laugh. They all looked up as a doctor walked into the room.

"Good evening, Mr. and Mrs," He glanced down at the chart. "Randall. I'm Dr. Thorne, I'll be your attending physician this evening." Dr. Thorne looked up from the chart in his hand and at Jamie. "You are?"

"Family friend," Jamie answered.

"Right…"

"Where's Dr. Bell?" Frank asked.

Dr. Thorne looked at Frank, "He was unavailable. I left a message with his service." He turned to Claire. "Stay calm, do exactly as I tell you, when I tell you to do it, and all will be well. There's no reason to panic."

"I'm not panicking, I just," Claire began but was cut off by the doctor.

"How far apart are her contractions?" The doctor's question was aimed at Frank.

"Don't ye think ye should be asking her?" Jamie glared at the man.

"Jamie," Claire placed a hand on his arm to calm him, "Three minutes."

"That's right," Frank nodded.

"First child?" Dr. Thorne again asked Frank.

"No," Claire and Jamie answered as Frank replied with a yes. "I… had a miscarriage a year ago." Claire finished.

"Of course, foolish of me to forget," Frank said, staring at Jamie.

"That does complicate things a bit… higher risk factors for both mother and child. Well. I think it's time we got your wife into delivery, Mr. Randall. Give her a kiss and then off you and your friend go. The fathers' waiting room down the hall and to the left. Just follow the smell of cigarettes and flop sweat."

"Ye'll be alright, Sassenach," Jamie gave her a final loving look before joining Frank at the door.

"Just one thing, Claire?" Frank said. "Try not to throw an ashtray at the doctor."

"No promises," Claire grinned before both Jamie and Frank were ushered out of the room.

Jamie sat in the chair and watched Claire, waiting for her to wake up. His position as a family friend gave him access to her room but not the nursery, unfortunately, a privilege Frank had. Jamie had yet to hold their baby, Jamie had only been able to get a glimpse of it as the nurses wheeled it by in a bassinet. Frank was able to follow them but Jamie was instructed to stay in the waiting room. Soon, a nurse had led him into Claire's room.

Jamie played with the ring on his finger and the hem on his shirt. The delivery had been hours ago and even though nurses had assured him that Claire was fine, he began to panic with each minute she remained asleep. Jamie was thankful that everything had gone well, Claire was fine and their baby was alive. He couldn't ask for more.

"My baby…" Claire groaned beginning to wake up. "Where's my baby?"

"Claire!" Jamie rushed to her side and grabbed her hand as a nurse ran in.

"Ah, Mrs. Randall, you're awake–"

"Is it dead? Where is it? Where's my baby?" Claire yelled, shaking Jamie's grip off her and ignoring the nurse's attempts to calm her. By some miracle, Frank walked into the room at that exact moment with a bundle in his arms.

"Right here. It's all right, she's right here, here she is," Frank placed the baby into Claire's arms.

"A girl," Jamie said, his breath hitching as he looked down at his daughter. Claire pulled back the white blanket revealing her tiny face to her parents.

"She's alive? She's all right?" Claire asked.

"Yes! Yes, a healthy baby girl." Frank told her.

"A girl… a girl… oh, I can't believe it. She's here, she's real," Claire looked up at Jamie with a smile.

"She's perfect, Sassenach,"

"Very much so," Frank agreed.

"She's beautiful," Claire said.

"Just like her mother," Frank whispered.

Jamie reached out and placed a gentle hand on the baby's small head, "Gun dìon Dia thu,"

"What does that mean?" Frank looked at Jamie.

"May God protect her," Jamie responded.

"She'll have more than God to do that," Frank said.

"Aye," Jamie gave Frank a single nod. Claire bent down and kissed the baby's nose as Jamie settled into the bed next to Claire keeping his hand on the baby's forehead. Silently, all the three stared down at the baby beginning to squirm in Claire's arms. She let out a smile cry as a nurse walked into the room.

"What a beautiful little angel," The nurse peered over Frank's shoulder. "So, where'd she get the red hair?" She froze when she noticed Jamie who shifted under her gaze.

"She's perfect, absolutely perfect," Claire said, seemingly ignoring everyone else in the room beside her daughter. "Welcome to the world Brianna Ellen Fraser Randall."

  
  



	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Brianna grows older tensions continue to rise between the adults. Claire makes plans for the future, Frank loses his head, and Jamie makes a friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to my amazing beta LallybrochLoser, I couldn't have done it without you!

She was still so small. When she was born, her head could fit into his palm. But as she grew with each passing day, it seemed his hand began to shrink. He knew of course it was just his little lass slowly growing, but he chose to think of himself as shrinking. The longer she stayed his tiny little bairn, the better.

Jamie watched from the rocking chair a few feet away as Brianna slept in her cradle. Every once in a while, she would let out a small whimper or cry but besides that, she slept soundlessly. It was the first time in months that anyone in the house had managed to get more than two hours of sleep in a row, yet Jamie couldn't sleep. He had laid awake with Claire snoring peacefully beside him, her arm wrapped around his waist for hours before the feeling consumed him. He was a slave to it.

He had carefully unwrapped himself from Claire's embrace and made his way in the dark to the nursery. Once inside, he ran a knuckle down Brianna's cheek and chest, waiting until he felt the steady rhythm of her heart before leaving her alone and settling into the rocking chair. This was their new routine. Jamie and Claire would eat supper together, then he would clean up while Claire fed Brianna. If the lass felt like cooperating she got a bath. If not, it was a change and then back to bed. Claire would be ready for bed not long after, so they would retire together and be wrapped in the warm embrace of one other. On good nights, Jamie would sleep for a few hours, but other nights it was one or two.

Brianna would wake up every couple of hours and Jamie would ferry her to Claire back and forth from her cradle to their bed. Sometimes he would go back and lay with Claire, but usually, Jamie would sit in the room and watch her sleep. He would knit in the chair, glancing up every few minutes to make sure she was still breathing. That she was still there. In the five months since Brianna's birth, Jamie had knitted enough hats and booties for a hundred bairns. Tonight, and every night for the past week, he worked on a blanket. He took his time, making sure the stitches were taut and neat in order to keep the cold out and her body heat in.

He may not be happy with her having "Randall" as a surname, but she was a Fraser through and through. Her flaming red hair and bright blue slanted eyes were proof enough. She was tenacious and vivacious– with a hint of stubbornness from her mother. As if to prove a point, Brianna chose to disrupt her father's musings with a loud breathy cry.

"What's wrong, lassie?" Jamie asked, moving to her side. He placed a hand on her stomach to soothe her, looking her up and down looking for further signs of distress.

"Brianna, a leannan, it's okay," he whispered and when he finally noticed her plight he smiled. "Oh, did ye lose yer bunny? Dinna fash, love, Da's got him right here." He held the small grey bunny close enough for Brianna to see it.

She let out a few small whimpers before reaching two chubby arms out towards the stuffed animal. Jamie did his best to make happy rabbit noises as he carefully nuzzled Brianna's cheek with the nose of the toy. Brianna smiled and cooed grabbing the bunny's ear and promptly sticking it into her mouth.

"Och, no! Brianna, dinna do that, if ye need something tae suckle at I'll get ye a dummy." Jamie placed the rabbit at Brianna's feet and turned to grab a freshly clean pacifier out of the glass jar they were held in.

Fresh dummy in hand, Jamie returned to Brianna and placed the pacifier into her mouth. After a few suckles, her eyes drooped close and she was back to sleep just as fast as she'd woken up. Jamie stood towering over her for a few more moments, just to make sure she was fully back to sleep. When he was satisfied, he reclaimed his previous spot on the rocking chair and resumed his knitting.

"There you go. And here's your bunny. Let's see what The Globe has to say this morning." Claire gently set Brianna into her playpen on her stomach with her bunny in reach. She grabbed her coffee off the table, sat on the couch, and opened the newspaper. Claire flipped through the pages as Brianna made various noises. Claire sipped her coffee and smiled when a headline caught her eye, "Ireland joins the roster of free nations," she read aloud.

"Damn Irish," Jamie said, walking through the living room freshly dressed from his shower and using a towel to dry his hair, "They're nothin' but pirates." He bent down to run his hand through Brianna's hair and flung the towel over his shoulder. "Never trust an Irishman, Bree. If ye ever date one, dinna bring him home. I'll disown ye."

"Don't tell her that," Claire said, rolling up the newspaper and swatting at Jamie's shoulder.

"Ouch!" Jamie yelled, feigning injury. "Bree, yer Mam is a madwoman!" He fell onto the couch next to Claire.

"Get off me you wet giant," Claire laughed, hitting him again, "Can't you dry off like a normal human being before wandering around the house? You're dripping everywhere."

"And deprive ye o' yer wet giant? I think no'." Jamie smiled, leaning towards her for a kiss. Claire dropped the newspaper on the ground and snaked her arms around his neck to pull him closer. His hand trailed down from her side to cup her arse. Brianna, with the true timing of a Fraser, increased her noises, grabbing the attention of her parents.

"You turned over!" Claire gently pushed Jamie to the side and scooped Brianna off her back. "All by yourself! Jamie, did you see?"

"I saw," Jamie nodded with a proud smile.

"The hot water cut out in the middle of my shower! Damned boiler pilot light must be out again!" Frank yelled as he rushed down the stairs. He stopped at the base of the landing and walked towards the living room holding his towel around his waist. His hair was dripping wet and traces of soap lingered on his body.

"What a clever girl you are." Claire rubbed Brianna's back.

"It was workin' fine a few minutes ago, I had plenty o' hot water," Jamie said from the couch.

Frank sighed. "It's not the boiler, apparently, but you." Frank shot him a glare. "You used up all the hot water, again. How can I be expected to go to work without a shower?"

"Frank," Claire started but Frank interrupted her with his hand.

"No! Every time I go to take a shower the water is cold, every time!"

"Calm yerself," Jamie said, slowly standing up from the couch. "I'm sorry, I dinna ken 'twas sae important tae ye. I'll wait 'till after y'er done from now on."

"You bloody better." Frank grit his teeth and stormed back up the stairs. Jamie took a few steps forward to make sure Frank was gone before he turned back to Claire and Brianna.

"I'm no' sure how much longer we can keep this up," Jamie said. "While he just keeps gettin' angrier and angrier each day, it gets more obvious who Brianna's father is." Jamie took Brianna into his arms.

Claire sighed. "I'll go and speak with him." She went to move past Jamie but he grabbed her arm to pull her to a stop.

"No," Jamie shook his head. "Let him calm down first. Ye dinna ken what he'll do right now, in anger."

"He's not a physical man, Jamie, he doesn't fight. Well, except that one time with you, but that was it. Frank would rather bide his time and make some calculated move. He won't hurt me or Bree." Claire pulled herself out of his grasp, then she turned around and walked up the stairs.

"That's what I'm afraid o'," Jamie whispered as Claire disappeared out of his sight.

Jamie closed his eyes and rested his forehead against Brianna's. He smiled when she put a hand on each side of his temples. He opened his eyes to find Brianna staring directly at him with a lopsided grin much like his own.

They held each other's gaze for several more seconds until a smell made his nose wrinkle. "What is yer Mam feeding ye? Ye stink, a leannan, och, let's get ye cleaned up." Brianna giggled as Jamie made various random noises with his mouth as he walked them into the kitchen.

Jamie carefully looked both ways before rolling Brianna's pram into the street to cross. Every day at precisely noon, Jamie would load Brianna into her stroller and take her for a walk to the park ten minutes away. Usually, Claire would use this important father-daughter bonding time to tend to her garden in peace before soaking in a bath, but today, Claire had gone out. She didn't tell Jamie why, just that he would be watching Brianna by himself for a few hours, promising that she would be home in time to make dinner. Jamie didn't mind, of course. He loved every opportunity to spend quality time with Brianna.

He loved watching as she became more interactive with the environment around her. Before she used to sleep on their walk. But now, she would wave her arms at the trees above her head and gurgle noises to her father. Sometimes Jamie would respond, having some one-sided conversation with her that probably made him sound mad as people walked by them, but he didn't care.

They took the exact same route every day. Jamie would say hello to the same people, sit on the same bench, and hold Brianna in his arms as he told her one of his childhood stories or sang her a song in Gaelic. Once story time was over, he would walk over to the body of water and Jamie would break up the stale pieces of bread he brought with them before throwing them into the pond. Brianna would giggle and clap as the ducks clamored for a bite of bread.

When the last bit of bread was gone and Brianna was starting to fuss, Jamie would carry her back to the bench and rock her to sleep. Then when she was asleep, he would place her back in the pram and start the journey home. Around the half-way point, Jamie would stop at the base of concrete stairs to speak with the only friend he'd managed to make in America; John Myers.

John Myers was a large friendly man in his early fifties who reminded Jamie of Ned Gowan and Rupert combined. The man always had a smile on his face, was friendly to everyone who walked by and, like Ned, had a song in his heart and a dram in his hand like Rupert. Jamie had walked past the man every day for weeks until one fateful day the pram lost a wheel and started to topple. Before Jamie could even react, John caught the stroller, preventing the sleeping Brianna from taking a tumble. Jamie was thankful and offered his handyworker services as payment; John said he had nothing to be fixed and to forget about it, but after Jamie's instance they settled on another payment. Company. With Jamie standing and John sitting, they would chat for however long Brianna stayed asleep. This was the main reason why Jamie insisted on these daily walks, besides the alone time with Brianna, of course.

"How is the little princess today?" John asked.

"She's bonnie," Jamie responded, pulling the blanket under Brianna's chin.

"She should be walking soon, right? You won't have to push that damn stroller much longer."

Jamie chuckled. "I dinna mind pushin' her around. Means she's still small enough tae be pushed."

John nodded in agreement before knocking back his dram and reaching for the bottle by his feet.

"You want one?" He offered the bottle to Jamie. Jamie looked down to make sure Brianna was still sound asleep before he nodded and took the proffered bottle.

"Sláinte mhath." Jamie and John held up the drinks before they both downed the alcohol.

"Christ!" Jamie wiped his mouth and handed John back the bottle. "When are ye goin' tae get yerself something real tae drink? This American whiskey is shite."

"It may be shit but it's cheap and still gets you drunk," John reasoned and Jamie had to nod in agreement. "When is that wife of yours going to let you come out for drinks with me again?"

John knew of Jamie and Claire's real relationship and Brianna's parentage. John joked about how stupid their neighbors were to still believe that Jamie was simply a friend staying with the Randall's, and Jamie couldn't agree more.

"Probably no' for a while because o' the last time."

"Not my fault you woke this little darling up stumbling around in the dark." John stood and peered at Brianna.

"No… but ye were the one who wouldnae let me leave his company 'till three in the morn."

"Bah!" John flicked his hand in dismissal. "You could have left at any point."

"I was havin' too much tae," Jamie admitted with a smile. Brianna began to squirm and fuss.

"Someone's up early," Jamie mused.

"She sleeps less and less. Soon we won't be able to talk at all."

"Ye auld coot, ye ken that's no' true," Jamie put a hand on John's shoulder. "I always have time for a friend, ye ken?"

"I appreciate that," John nodded and sat back down on his steps. "You better go before she starts at it."

"Aye," Jamie nodded. "We'll see ye tomorrow, John." Jamie lifted one of Brianna's hands to wave at John. "Can ye say 'bye bye' tae Mr. John?" Brianna moved her fingers in response.

"I'll take it!" John held up the bottle of whiskey as Jamie walked away.

They rounded the corner and Jamie walked faster when he noticed Claire's car parked in front of the house. His first thought was how early she was home as he carried Brianna and the pram up the steps, considering he wasn't expecting her for at least two or three more hours. He left the pram by the door and walked into the kitchen with Brianna in his arms. Claire glanced up from the pot of whatever she was making and gave them a large smile.

"There's my princess! How was your walk?"

The moment she heard her mother's voice, Brianna reached towards Claire. Jamie passed Brianna over and took Claire's spot by the stove so she could sit down.

"It was all right."

"And John?"

"The usual." Jamie placed a lid over the pot and took a seat across from Claire. "Are ye all right, Sassenach?" After four years of marriage, Jamie could read his wife like an open book. Claire was avoiding his gaze, her shoulders were square and tense. She was definitely hiding something, clearly hesitant to speak up. "Claire?"

She closed her eyes and held Brianna closer to her.

"That meeting I had today? I was meeting with President Conant."

"Frank's boss?"

"Yes," Claire said. "I spoke with him about possibly attending the school. We talked about it, remember?"

"I do," Jamie nodded. "Ye said once Brianna was old enough ye wanted tae go tae school, become a doctor."

"Well, I think it's time." Claire finally looked at him.

"She's still so small," Jamie said. "Are ye sure it's wise tae leave her now?"

"I won't be leaving her alone, you and Frank will be with her." Claire started. "She'll be in capable hands. Besides, it's only a couple of classes for the first semester."

"They said yes then?"

"Yes, I start this fall."

Jamie moved his chair closer to Claire. He put one hand on her shoulder, the other on her cheek, and brought her in for a kiss.

"I'm sae proud of ye, mo nighean donn. Yer goin' tae be the best doctor, I ken it."

"I just hope Frank agrees."

"I dinna care what Frank thinks," Jamie kissed her again. "Yer happiness is what matters. Frank can go tae Hell for all I care. And I'll gladly take him there myself if he tries tae stop ye."

"Is that a promise?"

"Ye have my word."

  
  



	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Claire starts medical school, Jamie takes an uncomfortable job to support his family and Frank has a realization.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks as always to my amazing beta LallybrochLoser.

It felt like a dream as Claire walked up the wooden steps. She used the banister to her right for stability as she climbed to the second floor towards her first class. The hall was relatively new compared to the rest of the campus but still held the same prestige. The floors were covered in recently polished tile, the walls were lined with various paintings, ribbons, and photographs with an arched ceiling covering the bright blue sky. Claire was early, she found herself alone in what seemed to be an unending corridor.

The rooms all looked the same. If it wasn’t for the placards hanging to the left of each door, Claire would have been lost. Frank had offered to walk her to her class earlier that morning, but she had turned him down. Even though he was a member of the history department, Frank Randall was a well-known name throughout the school due to his popularity among students. Claire didn’t want people to assume she had gotten into the school on his reputation alone; she wanted to prove her own merit and prove herself worthy of the coveted position. So that morning she went off on her own with just her campus map and her briefcase– a thoughtful gift from Jamie. He had started saving his earnings once it was set in stone that she would be attending university in the fall.

Jamie had woken her up that morning with a breakfast of eggs, pancakes, and toast in bed. He held Brianna so Claire could have a chance to finish her meal in one sitting for once. When she was finished, Jamie left Brianna with her and the empty tray with explicit instructions to stay in bed. He had appeared a few moments later, looking absolutely radiant with the briefcase in his hands, his red hair shining, and a large smile on his face. Frank had been just as supportive– minus the few jokes he had made about just getting a nursing license.

But none of that mattered now. She was here.

She thumbed the placard just outside the door ‘243’ before stepping through the threshold. The room was as empty as she expected it to be. The front of the classroom held a small stage with rows of elevated seats leading towards the back. In the middle of the stage, there was a large metal table with a cadaver covered by a sheet and a set of surgical tools lying next to it. Claire set her briefcase onto the floor and picked up the scalpel. The knife was cool and held a surprising amount of weight in regard to its size. The silver polish glistened as the light bounced off the metal as she turned it. Never before had an object ever felt so foreign yet completely right when she held it.

“Can I help you, Miss?” The voice that spoke behind her caused her to jump.

“Is this the anatomy classroom?” Claire inquired, putting the scalpel down as she turned to face the man.

“It is,” he nodded. “Are you looking for someone? I have a class about to start.”

“You must be Doctor Simms.”

“I am. And you are?” The doctor cocked his head.

“Claire Randall. First year.” She held out her hand towards him, anticipating his handshake.

Doctor Simms looked at her hand but made no move to return the greeting. “Oh, yes. The dean informed me there was a woman in the year’s incoming class. How very… modern of us.” 

Claire rescinded her hand when Simms turned away from her and began to situate himself. Claire picked up her briefcase and chose the middle seat in the very first row. She placed a pen and pad of paper in front of her as students started to file in. Frank had warned her that she would be different compared to the rest of the class, and he seemed to be right. All of her fellow students were young, white males. They all shot her curious glances as they surrounded her on all sides in the remaining seats. She had been an outlander before. She could do it again.

“Is this spot taken?”

Claire looked up from her notepad to find a tall African American man standing a few feet to her right. 

“It’s all yours,” Claire replied, giving him a warm smile. The man gave her a single nod before sitting directly next to her to unpack his own briefcase.

“Thanks. I’m Joe Abernathy.” The man held out his hand with a sheepish grin.

“I’m Claire,” she replied, gladly shaking his hand, grateful to have found an ally in the seat of sameness.

“All right, gentlemen,” the professor paused, giving Claire a brief glance. “Let’s begin.” He tore the sheet off the cadaver and picked up the scalpel.

* * *

“Christ!” Jamie yelled, reeling back before the wood fell onto him. 

He gazed at the flimsy structure in front of him. He rubbed the back of his neck, completely unsure of where to start. The frame was held together with bent nails and nothing to secure the joints. How the building stayed upright for as long as it did, Jamie didn’t know. He had merely bumped into the side when one of the support beams began to wobble, threatening to tip over. Jamie knew the structure was clearly unsafe, and upon further examination, Jamie realized the best course of action was to demolish the entire thing and start over.

“Jerry tried,” Millie said, appearing next to him unexpectedly. Jamie had to step back once again. “But, as you can tell, he’s not very good with his hands.” She gave him a wink.

“It’s no’ safe with the bairns around, that I ken.” Jamie said, walking towards the structure. “I’m goin’ tae have tae take it all down and start over. It’ll take some extra time, but it will be safer,” he explained.

“Well then,” Millie mused slyly, making the Scot more uncomfortable, “I guess that just means you’re going to be around here more often.”

“Aye,” Jamie nodded slowly.

Wanting to get as far from Millie as he possibly could, Jamie circled the structure again. It wouldn’t take long to tear it down; it seemed like a deep breath would do the job just fine. It was the rebuilding that worried him.

Brianna’s arrival had given Jamie a much-needed excuse to avoid Millie after the incident at her house. Jamie never told Claire about it. He wanted to, of course, but with Brianna, school, and Frank, Jamie didn’t want to add to her worries. Instead, he did his best to avoid Millie whenever he could to prevent another encounter. Every time Millie reached out to him for a job, he turned her down, somehow coming up with another excuse pertaining to Brianna. Frank and Claire had told their neighbors that Jamie was now their handyman and Brianna’s nanny. It was their excuse as to why Jamie was constantly with her. Those neighbors had started to joke that Jamie and the lass had spent so much together, Brianna was starting to look like him.

So, scummy as it was, he used his daughter to keep Millie away. That was, until she showed up at their door that morning requesting his assistance. Before he could turn her down, she offered a whopping $50. Despite his weariness of Millie, he was not so proud as to turn it down when they needed every penny they could get while Claire was in school.

So, Jamie reluctantly accepted the job and Frank’s offer to care for Brianna. Jamie wasn’t sure which situation made him more anxious. He had planned on working quickly and efficiently, wanting to spend as little as he had to at the Nelson’s. It was a simple job, it shouldn't take him more than a couple of days, and yet Jamie had a feeling that Millie was going to keep him there as long as possible.

The shanty was poorly built. The walls, if you could call them that, were nothing more than a thin, crooked sheet of wood, barely shielding its inhabitants from the elements. The roof beams were so uneven and weakly connected, Jamie couldn’t decipher how Jerry managed to get them to hold a small section of tin covering. 

Millie’s instructions were rather facile; the shed would only be a storage unit, so it didn’t need to be ‘fancy,’ as she put it. Jerry was apparently a hoarder; their home had become cluttered over the years with his collections, though Jamie suspected it was actually Millie’s doing. This project needed a lot of work, but not nearly enough to justify Millie’s fee. 

“I wouldna let Jerry anywhere near a hammer again, that for sure.” Jamie finally said, finishing his examination of the project.

“What’s your plan?” She asked, moving closer to him.

“As I said before, I’ll have tae take it all down, rebuild it from the ground up. Shouldn’t take me more than a few days, a week at most. I can come by when Claire is home from school tae look after Bree.”

“Well…” Millie drawled out, twirling a strand of her hair with her pointer finger. “You could always bring her here with you. I wouldn’t mind.”

“Och, no, uh, it would be irresponsible of me tae do so. Too dangerous, ye never ken what could happen, especially wi’ a wee lass and tools.” Jamie folded his arms over his chest, hoping his physical stance would be enough for Millie. 

Unfortunately for Jamie, Millie was either too daft or uncaring as she inched closer to him. He was doing his best to watch her like a hawk without making it obvious. The last thing he needed was for her to interpret his weariness as encouragement. 

“You know, Jamie,” she hummed, “you’ll make a good father someday. The way you care for little Brianna– almost as if she was your own. It’s so wonderful to see a man with a compassionate side. Jerry is always…” Throughout her speech, Millie had moved close enough where Jamie could smell the faintest whiff of alcohol on her breath. She was backing him against the leaning shanty. Millie was leaning her head upwards now with her lips aimed for his.

“I want this done properly. So you’ll take as much time as you need, okay? Price is no issue.” Millie said, leaning away from his body. “We’ll happily pay you for your time.” 

It took a few seconds before Jamie realized why Millie had backed off him so suddenly. Jamie took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He had never been so happy to hear the engine of a car in his entire life. He kept his eyes shut as the sound of leaves crunching under Jerry’s footsteps led the man straight towards his wife.

“Sweetie, you’re home!” Mille cried out in glee.

Jamie opened his eyes just in time to see Millie wrap Jerry in a tight hug.

“I was just telling Jamie here how happy we’d be to have him here working for us.”

“Oh, yes,” Jerry nodded in agreement, wrapping an arm around his wife. “When Millie first told me she wanted a shed, I thought I could save some money by doing it myself. But we can clearly see how that turned out.” Jerry chuckled.

“Ach, dinna fash, Jerry. I’ll have a wee shed built for ye in no time,” Jamie said.

“Wonderful!” Jerry unwrapped his arm from Millie’s waist. “We have a deal then?” He walked towards Jamie and offered him his hand to shake. “One shed for $50?”

“Aye…” Jamie glanced at Millie before moving towards Jerry, grasping the man’s hand with a firm shake. “Ye have a deal.”

* * *

Brianna started crying the moment Jamie left for the Nelson’s household. Frank was sure that Brianna’s initial wail could be heard for miles around. He picked her up and did everything he could think of to soothe her. He knew she wasn’t hungry; it hadn’t even been two hours since she had last been fed. She didn’t need to be changed or burped either.  After running out of ideas to calm her, Frank was at a loss.  


The longer it took for him to come up with a solution, the louder Brianna’s wails got. Frank quickly scooped her off the floor and carried her around, just as he had seen Claire do many times. He made sure to support her head and bounced her slightly. When that didn’t work, he wrapped Brianna securely in her blanket, sat on the couch, and held a binky to her mouth. Brianna took it almost instantly, but after a few sucks, she spat it out and refused to take it again. Her bunny managed to calm her down some but didn’t appease her entirely.

After an hour, Frank had almost given up on trying to soothe her entirely. He was almost ready to run across the street and get Jamie when the idea hit him. Frank wasn’t sure how the idea came to him, or why he tried in the first place, but he was glad he did. He took Brianna into his study and grabbed the first book off his shelf before settling down once more on the couch. He opened the book and began to read Oliver Twist. 

And much to his surprise, Brianna quieted in no time at all. They had just made it to the scene where Mr. Bumble walked with Oliver, trying to find someone to buy the lad before Brianna was asleep.

Frank bookmarked the page for later, set the book aside, and slowly rose off the couch to go upstairs. Brianna opened her eyes once more as Frank walked into Claire and Jamie’s room. Frank was grateful when Brianna stared up at him softly and didn’t begin to cry.

“There we go, darling, good girl,” Frank cooed softly, carefully laying Brianna down on her back in her cradle.

The last few hours had been a nightmare for them both, but Frank would be lying if he said he wouldn’t do it again in a heartbeat. Frank remembered that once upon a time, he told Claire that he could never love a child that wasn’t his, easily dismissing her suggestion at adoption. But the way his heart currently felt as he stared down at Brianna showed that to be false.

He could care for a child that wasn’t his own.

Frank wasn’t an idiot. He knew who Brianna’s real father was; the evidence was clearly found in her bright red hair and blue eyes. But even then, all Frank saw was the way she looked like Claire.

Brianna had the same smile, nose, and ears as her mother. Frank would never admit it, but the first thing he noticed about Claire was her dainty ears. They seemed so small compared to the rest of her body, and Frank was secretly glad that Brianna had inherited them.

These last few hours were the first time he had spent any significant amount of time alone with her. She was usually in the arms of Jamie or Claire, or asleep, to the point where Frank didn’t want to disturb her. He didn’t have to check on her because one of her parents was always by her side, moments after she started crying. All it took was a single afternoon.

The realization hit him like a ton of bricks.

Frank would move mountains to keep Brianna safe and happy. He didn’t just care for her, no, he loved her as if she was his own. And Frank swore to himself that no one could ever make him feel any different. From that moment on, Frank swore to protect her and love her until he died. As far as he was concerned, Brianna was just as much his daughter as she was Claire and Jamie’s and no one could make him feel any different.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm getting a lot of comments about Frank and I just want to say that he 100% will get what's coming to him, but for now, just enjoy his terrible presence~~~ Thanks for reading guys!


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Claire studies for her first exam with Joe and Jamie deals with a crisis at home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all had a wonderful holiday! School is out for me in about a week so you can expect more frequent updates. Thanks to my betas, LallybrochLoser and RubberDuckiez, couldn't have done it without you both.

“Are you sure you’ll be alright?” Claire asked for what seemed to be the hundredth time. “I’m in two minds about this, Jamie.” 

“I’m sure, Sassenach,” Jamie gave her a reassuring look. “Go and study yer wee gallbladders.”

“I can study at home.” 

“No! Go and study wi’ Joe. Frank goin’ out o’ town means nothing; Bree and I will be fine on our own.” 

“It’s not Frank that I’m concerned with,” Claire walked across the room to rest her hand on Bree’s head. “She’s been fussy all day, more than usual, I’m not sure if…”

“What? Do ye no’ trust me tae look out for a fussy lass? Have you no’ met Jenny?”

Claire chuckled at his joke. “You truly think you can handle her on your own like this?” 

Her eyes bunched with worry as she took in Brianna's form. Brianna wasn’t normally a fussy baby, but all day she’d been restless and out of character. She had flat out refused a bottle and only ate a minimal amount from Claire’s breast; the lack of food and absence of a nap made Brianna a very fussy lass, meaning Claire lost precious study time. 

Her class had their first exam the following day and Claire was already nervous enough without adding on an uncooperative baby. The pressure was overwhelming. Claire felt that the exam wasn’t just a test on her classroom knowledge, but a test on whether or not she belonged in medical school. If she failed the exam, she would encourage her misogynistic professor and classmates’ beliefs that women had no place in medical school. If she passed, however, she would be asserting that she and other women were more than capable of learning a doctor’s skillset. But she would also be proving to Jamie and even Frank that their support and changes in their life were worth it. She had to pass this exam.

“I’m her Da, I can handle anythin’ she tries tae throw at me.” 

Despite the tension in her body, Claire smiled at his statement. He was so proud to be her father and jumped at every chance to be known as such. The fact was well-acknowledged inside their home but outside he was the Sassenach living amongst the Randall family.

“Okay,” Claire nodded, kissing the top of Brianna’s fluffy red hair before kissing Jamie’s lips. “I won’t be out too late with Joe, I promise.”

Jamie picked up Claire’s bag. “Have fun wi’ yer friend, we’ll be fine.” Jamie returned her earlier kiss. 

“I love you so much,” Claire nuzzled his forehead before putting on her coat and accepting the bag from Jamie. 

“I love ye,” Jamie told her as they walked to the door. Claire gave him a final smile and blew a kiss before opening the car door and getting inside. She placed her bag on the seat next to her, put on her seatbelt, turned on the headlights, and turned up the radio. As _I Don’t Want to Set the World on Fire_ by the Ink Spots began seeping through the speakers in the car, she pulled away from the curb and began the journey towards the university. Claire got there in record time with the usually hectic streets of Boston being so calm; when she pulled into the parking lot Joe was already waiting for her. He waved to her as she drove by him and waited for her to park before making his way over.

Their friendship had been quick to flourish and Claire could easily say that he was her best friend. Claire found that she could confide in Joe, she could tell him things that she was hesitant to tell Jamie, and Joe always listened. Joe was smarter than the rest of the populace gave him credit for. The first time he met Jamie and Brianna he instantly knew their true relationship, whereas their neighbors were still in the dark. Joe and Jamie got along well while Frank was pleasant but uneasy; Joe was not a fan of Frank’s and had no issue in sharing his thoughts with Claire. 

“LJ, I’m so glad you made it!” Joe opened her car door for her. “I was worried you wouldn’t show after you missed class today.”

“Brianna was–”

“Is she all right?” Joe asked, cutting her off before she could further explain.

“Yes, she is, she’s just been rather feisty all day and screamed bloody murder every time I tried to put her down. She’s a little better now and I was able to get away, I’m sure she’s keeping Jamie busy though.” 

Joe chuckled. “I love that little darling, she’s so precious, Claire, and she definitely inherited your fiery spirit.” 

“Unfortunately, a little too much it seems sometimes.” 

They settled into a comfortable silence as they walked from the parking lot to one of the University’s libraries. They walked close together as they passed the leering eyes of various students and faculty members. Once inside the library, they chose a spot in the back so they could study in peace away from everyone else. Joe gave her his notes from that day’s class and after an hour of silent perusal, they put away their notes and began quizzing each other on various anatomical parts along with their locations and functions.

They studied, quizzed, read, and laughed for a few hours until an attendant came around and told them it was eleven o’clock and the library was now closed. Claire had been so immersed in her studying that she was surprised to find the time was so late. She urged Joe to quickly pack his things, she was already out longer than she’d promised Jamie and wanted to get home as soon as possible. They walked side by side as they rushed across campus to the parking lot. They shared a fast goodbye and a promise to see the other the following day.

Claire sighed as she pulled up to the house and found all the nights off. She was hoping Jamie would’ve stayed up and waited for her. She missed him terribly and wanted nothing more than some alone time with him. Frank was spending an increasing amount of time at home and he rarely spent time with Sandy though Claire was sure they still talked often. Between Frank, the amount of time she spent at school or studying, and Jamie’s long hours at Millie’s, Claire and Jamie hardly saw each other anymore. And when they did, Frank was always there to ruin it with his presence. 

Claire had been happy when Frank announced a week prior that he would be going out of town for a few days for work. He was attending a conference on some historical breakthrough about the Revolutionary War. He had been talking about it nonstop since he’d been invited; even sharing his thoughts and various facts with Jamie who clearly didn’t understand or care to. Frank would be gone for a full four days and Claire was aiming to make each day count. Their first had been washed away with studying and Brianna’s unhappiness, but after her exam tomorrow, Claire would have a few days off and she was looking forward to them.

She opened the front door, locked it behind her, and shed her coat before walking to the kitchen to make herself a cup of tea. She gave a small sigh when she noticed several full bottles of milk in the refrigerator, it seemed Jamie had been unable to get Brianna to eat. Claire slowly walked up the staircase with the warm cup of tea cradled in her hands. She quietly entered her bedroom and set the tea on the dresser while she began taking off her shoes and hose. Despite the year they’d spent without immediate danger, Jamie was still a light sleeper and the simple honk from a car would have him awake and tense. Claire was surprised that Jamie hadn’t woken up; Brianna must have run him ragged and wiped him out. Claire picked up her tea and walked over to the cradle to check on Brianna, then frowned when she found it empty. 

Claire looked towards the bed and found that it too was empty. Maybe they’d fallen asleep in the sitting room and Claire had simply missed them. It wouldn’t be the first time. She went down the stairs and when she didn’t see them asleep on the couch her heart began to race.

“Jamie?” she called, quickly walking around the house looking for them. She decided to check outside hoping that Jamie had gone for a late-night walk with Brianna. It was rare but a sure-fire way to get Brianna to sleep when she refused to go down. It wasn’t until her hand was on the doorknob that she saw a small note taped to the back of the door. She flipped on the light and immediately recognized Jamie’s writing. The note was short and simple but caused her to stop in her tracks:

_Bree has a fever, going to John’s for help, be back soon._

* * *

“I love ye,” Jamie said as he watched Claire walk towards the car. She turned with a wave and blew him a kiss before getting into the car and driving away. Jamie stood at the threshold waiting until he could no longer see Claire’s tail lights before he went back inside. 

“Shush, a leannan,” Jamie whispered to Briana as she started to cry. “Da’s here, y’er all right, lassie, dinna fash.” Jamie bounced Brianna lightly in his arms to calm her down. His attempts went completely unnoticed by the troubled babe. 

The next hour was complete mayhem. Jamie was sure Brianna was going to make herself hoarse with the nonstop crying. His usual calming tactics had all been unsuccessful – neither bunny nor soft songs in Gaelic could soothe her. She kicked a bottle out of Jamie’s hand when he tried to feed her, causing him to curse at the large pool of liquid on the floor. From the moment he set her down her cries only escalated as Jamie haphazardly cleaned up the mess on the floor. After she refused another bottle he gave up on the idea of getting her to eat and placed her in her cradle while he cooked himself dinner. Jamie was surprised to find that by the time his meal was completed Brianna’s cries had turned into small whimpers.

At least she's settling down, he told himself. 

He finished his food quickly and piled the dirty dishes into the sick, he would do them later. Jamie walked over to check on Brianna and frowned when he noticed her face was completely red. His worry became reality as her skin was hot to the touch. Jamie carefully picked her up and held her to his chest. She was burning up. Jamie cursed under his breath, of all the nights he encouraged Claire to go out it had to be tonight. 

Jamie didn’t know what to do. The closest he’d come to a sick child was the time Hamish MacKenzie had fallen off his horse and Jamie carried him to his bed-chamber inside the castle. But Hamish had been older and not sick with fever, he also hadn’t been Jamie’s daughter. Jamie needed help and he had no way of reaching Claire. He quickly packed a bag for Brianna and secured her in her stroller. He was halfway out the door when it occurred to him to leave a note for Claire just in case she came home while they were gone. He quickly scribbled a note and taped it to the door where he was sure Claire would find it. 

He practically ran the entire way and sighed in relief when he found John’s house brightly lit up. He carefully lifted the stroller up the stone steps and made his way to the front door.

“John!” Jamie pounded on the door. 

“Jamie?” John asked when the door opened a few seconds later. “What are you doing here so late?”

“Somethin’s wrong wi’ Bree, she has a fever...” 

Jamie watched as John reached out and placed a gentle hand on the top of Brianna’s head. 

“She does,” John confirmed. 

“I need ye tae take us tae the hospital,” Jamie said.

“Where’s Claire?”

“She’s studyin’ wi’ a friend. Can ye take us or no?” 

“Jamie, I wish I could but I’m in no condition to be driving…” John hiccupped and it was only then Jamie noticed that the man was drunk.

“What am I supposed tae do then? I canna leave her like this.” Jamie glanced down at his daughter. Brianna was still asleep in her stroller but she had resumed her squirming. She was clearly uncomfortable and Jamie couldn’t stand the thought of her suffering. 

“John, ye have tae help me.” Jamie pleaded. 

“One moment,” John mumbled, turning away from the door and disappearing from Jamie’s view. He returned a few moments later and handed Jamie a cold metal object.

“A key?” Jamie frowned.

“Take my car, Jamie, get Bree to a hospital.” 

“Car…” Jamie sighed. “I dinna ken how tae drive.” Nor did he have any desire to since he was terrified of them. 

“I’ll go with you and tell you, it’ll be alright, Jamie,” John said, sensing Jamie’s hesitance. “You want your daughter better, right?” After Jamie nodded he continued. “Then do this for her.” 

Jamie took a deep breath and nodded again but this time in resolution. Together they loaded the car with Brianna’s stroller and piled into the car. Once they were secured inside and with Brianna held tightly in John’s arm, John began instructing Jamie how to work the car.

“You turn the key, like that good… put your foot on the pedal… slowly, Jamie!” They lurched as Jamie pressed too hard on the accelerator. Jamie slowly inched out of John’s driveaway and soon they were on their way to Boston General Hospital. Jamie knew the basics of driving, though he insisted it wasn’t a skill worth learning, Claire taught him nonetheless. He knew green meant to go, red meant stop, and while yellow was supposed to be a warning to stop soon, Jamie realized that it was more of a vague suggestion to other drivers when some merely picked up speed to cross the light. 

They’d made it no more than a couple of miles away from John’s house when Jamie found himself in the company of a tailgater. After a few minutes of being blinded by headlights and constant honking, Jamie stuck his arm out the window and motioned for the car to go around.

“Jamie, you’re going too slow,” John said. “You’re going almost ten under, you need to speed up.”

“No,” Jamie said as he continued to motion to the car behind him. “Go around ye numpty!” Jamie shouted out the window. The driver seemingly got his message and with a loud honk and various curse words, the car rounded Jamie and sped down the road in front of him. Jamie clutched the steering wheel tightly in his grasp and muttered in Gaelic. After another grueling fifteen minutes of Jamie’s terrifying driving, John’s unclear instructions, and Brianna’s whimpering, they arrived at the hospital. Once in front, Jamie launched himself out of the door and John quickly put the car in park to avoid it moving. Jamie took Brianna from John and ran inside the hospital with her clutched in his arms. 

“I need help,” Jamie said, approaching a large desk with several women behind them in what Jamie recognized as a nurse’s uniform. “She’s hot and…” Jamie had barely spoken before one of the nurses came around and placed a hand on Brianna’s forehead. When she felt how warm Brianna was she scooped her out of Jamie’s arms and gave him the explicit instruction to wait there. Jamie began to protest as the nurse disappeared behind a pair of double doors with Brianna but was stopped by another woman.

“I need you to fill these out,” the nurse said, handing him a form attached to a clipboard. “Are you the child’s father?” 

“Yes,” Jamie said

“What’s her name?” 

“Brianna,” Jamie said, taking the clipboard. “Brianna Ellen Fraser… Randall. Fraser Randall.” 

“Brianna,” the nurse repeated slowly. “That’s a beautiful name, Mister Randall.” 

“Fraser.” Jamie corrected.

“Mister Fraser,” the nurse gave him a smile. “Your daughter is in good hands, I promise you. I need you to fill out these forms and get them back to me as soon as possible, wait over there.” She pointed to a group of several chairs. “And I’ll let you know as soon as we know anything.” 

Jamie gave her a nod and sat into one of the chairs. He stared down at the form in front of him and realized he had no idea what half of the words in front of him met, the few he did know he didn’t have many answers for. He knew Brianna had the appropriate inoculations and was healthy despite her current sickness, but besides that, he didn’t know the specifics. It was Claire who knew the particulars of Brianna’s health record and could rattle off the information apparently needed. In the end, Jamie was only able to fill out a quarter of the form: the events of the night and the symptoms Brianna had experienced. 

John collapsed into the seat beside him with a loud groan and thump. While Jamie appreciated his friend’s company, he had never wanted Claire to be at his side so badly before. After staring down at the paper for a few more minutes Jamie stood and handed the nurse the uncompleted form. She said nothing as he turned away dejectedly and resumed his seat next to John who had begun to snore. 

The only thing left that Jamie could do was hope that Claire would arrive soon and pray that Brianna would be okay. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thanks to all you wonderful readers! I'm not much for replying to comments and reviews but I do read them and take what you're saying into account. Just a warning: Frank is going to be a very slow burn so enjoy it and stick with me.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any mistakes in this chapter are entirely mine as this chapter was not edited by a beta. Happy reading!

After reading Jamie’s note that he went to John’s for help, Claire didn’t bother to wait for him to return. She grabbed her keys off the kitchen counter and shoved her feet into the boots by the door. Not bothering to lock the door behind her, Claire got back into the car and drove around the block to John’s house. The house was brightly lit up, meaning John had been home at some point– now, his car was gone. John had no problem wasting his nights away staring at the bottom of a bottle, having nothing better to do, but Claire knew John wouldn’t have sent Jamie away to deal with Brianna on his own. They had gone somewhere, hospital was the most likely choice given the situation.

Claire shifted the car into gear and sped towards Boston General Hospital. It was the closest and the only one Jamie had been to, it wouldn’t have made sense for them to go anywhere else. Claire made it to the hospital in record time. She was barely in the lot when she noticed a familiar brown Pontiac 1940 sedan. 

“Thank God,” Claire said, driving her car to park next to John’s. She slammed her door shut and glanced through the front window of the Pontiac. For an otherwise messy person, John took tremendous care of his car. The car itself was at least nine-years-old and besides the obvious wear and tear of the tires, the car looked straight out of the dealership. Her breath hitched when she noticed the small mint-colored cap Brianna usually wore peeking out from under the passenger’s seat.

She left the car and walked quickly inside, shaking off the snowflakes that accumulated on her shoulder. The lobby was practically bare, not surprising given the late hour. A single nurse sat at the desk with her shoulders slumped and head bent over. Claire hadn’t made it halfway to the reception desk when she noticed them. Their backs were to her and Jamie’s red hair was mostly hidden under a black stocking cap but she would recognize those fiery-red strands anywhere. She walked over to him and rested a hand on his shoulder to let him know she was there. 

“I couldna’ fill out those papers,” he said, not looking up at her. He continued to stare at the bare wall across the room. “They wanted tae ken things, things I dinna have the answer tae.”

“It’s all right,” Claire reassured him, taking the empty seat next to him and moving his hand into her lap. “Bree?” 

“She was so warm, Sassenach. I dinna ken much about health like ye but I ken bairns are no’ supposed tae be that warm.” 

“They’re not,” Claire agreed.

Claire leaned her head on his shoulder as she stroked the back of his hand with her thumb. She felt a wave of emotions hit her and she closed her eyes to keep the tears at bay. She felt guilty for leaving them. Guilty and ashamed that she hadn’t noticed Brianna’s plight was more than a simple case of colic. She was a nurse and in medical school to advance her medical career, if anyone should have caught the budding fever it was her. Instead, she ignored all the signs that something was wrong and left Jamie to deal with it alone.

She felt like a failure as a mother, a nurse, and a future doctor.

Then came the pride. 

She was proud of the way Jamie handled the situation. The moment he knew something was wrong he took steps to remedy the situation–to help their daughter. He’d gone above and beyond, facing his own fears to get her help. From the way John rested in his chair she knew he was no doubt passed out due to the amount of alcohol he’d consumed earlier in the day. John was a drunk, but a responsible drunk. He never would’ve driven his car if he wasn’t in a proper state to do so. Meaning it had been Jamie who drove them to the hospital. 

Jamie, who was absolutely terrified of cars and refused to go anywhere near them, drove his drunk friend and sick daughter to the hospital. Their daughter. Jamie had already proven time and time again that he would face all odds to protect those he cared about. Claire was happy he hadn’t lost that quality going through the stones. Despite the two centuries, some things never changed. Jamie was a protector through and through. He was an excellent father and Claire felt for what seemed to be the millionth time, happy that he was with her. With them. 

They sat in silence except for the rumbling snores escaping John’s mouth. Jamie interlaced their fingers and kissed her temple. The last few weeks had been rough. She saw more of her textbooks and classmates than she did her husband. She hadn’t realized just how much the presence of his body next to her made her feel. He didn’t have to say a word, and oftentimes, he didn’t; a simple kiss or his arm wrapped around her reassured her of everything. Jamie never ceased to make her feel warm, safe, and utterly loved.

Almost as if he sensed her thoughts, he pulled her into his lap and wrapped his arms tighter around her. They weren’t normally one for public displays of affection. They didn’t in Scotland since it wasn’t proper of the time and Jamie wanted to be a model leader to his men. They couldn’t now since everyone believed her to be Frank’s wife. But at the moment, Claire didn’t care who saw them. She needed him and he needed her. That was all that mattered. 

Their semi-blissful cocoon was interrupted minutes later.

“Fraser?”

Jamie and Claire lifted their heads towards the voice to find a doctor walking towards them. He held a clipboard in his hand and a smile on his face.

“How is she? How’s my daughter?” Claire asked, moving from Jamie’s embrace to greet the doctor.

“She’s just fine. Her fever was quite high when she first arrived but it’s down now. I’d like to keep her here for a day or two, just to make sure it stays that way.” the doctor told them.

“What’s wrong wi’ her?” Jamie asked, moving to stand next to Claire. 

“She has an ear infection–a nasty one– but a simple ear infection. We’re giving her penicillin to remedy it, she’ll be good as new in a few days. Are you ready to see her?” 

“Aye,” Jamie responded for them both. 

They left John sleeping in his chair and followed the doctor into the emergency ward. The doctor led them to a closed small room and left them with a reassuring smile. Jamie opened the door and stepped into the room, immediately crossing the expanse to stand next to Brianna. She looked far too small sleeping in such a big crib. 

Claire watched from the doorway as Jamie made the sign of a cross before placing his thumb gently on Brianna’s forehead and muttering in Gaelic. After three years of marriage and two years surrounded by Scots Claire would have thought she had picked up more of the language. But as Jamie continued what she assumed to be a prayer she realized just how little she knew. She managed to pick up a few words that she had heard numerous times but she couldn’t assign a meaning. It made her wonder if Jamie missed conversing in a language that made up a large amount of his identity.

Not that he would tell her if he did. 

She leaned her head against the doorframe as Jamie finished his prayer with a kiss to the top of Brianna’s head. A small hand snaked its way out of the blanket and rested on Jamie’s stubbled cheeks. 

“Ye look much better, mo ghràidh,” Jamie said, moving his head to kiss Brianna’s palm. “Ye seem like yer wee self again.” 

Brianna responded with a series of coos. 

“I think she wants her Mam,” Jamie said, turning to look at Claire. 

“I’m perfectly content to watch the two of you.” Claire gave a small smile. 

“Sassenach…” he crossed the room and gently took her hand in his. He pulled her from her rooted spot and led her over to Brianna’s crib. “See?” Jamie pointed out as Brianna’s face spread into a smile upon seeing her mother. 

“Hello, lovey.” Claire placed her hand on Brianna’s stomach. The penicillin seemed to already be working its way through her body. She was much calmer than the last time Claire had seen her and according to Jamie, not as hot. A broken fever and alleviated symptoms lead to a very happy baby as Brianna continued to smile at her parents. “I’ll never get tired of this,” Claire whispered, stroking Brianna’s skin gently. 

“I ken I willna’ either,” Jamie agreed. He glanced at the clock which hung on the space over the door and placed a hand to the small of Claire’s black. “Ye should get some sleep, Sassenach, ‘tis almost two. Ye have yer exam in a few hours.”

“My exam?” Claire asked dumbfounded. After everything that had just happened, how could he think she was going to leave Brianna? Leave them? 

“Aye, yer exam,” he continued. “Ye worked so hard, studyin’ those gallbladders and wee bones. Ye canna just miss it.”

“Jamie,” she turned to face him. “Our daughter is in the hospital. I don’t give a damn about some exam; I’m sure Doctor Simms will understand.” 

“We both ken that’s no’ true,” Jamie said matter of factly.

Claire couldn’t help but agree. Doctor Simms, while semi-tolerant during lectures, was clearly still uncomfortable with both her and Joe being in his tutelage. They received less attention from him than the other students and Claire had to practically pull her arm out of her socket to get one of her questions answered. Doctor Simms was very prejudiced, but he had the same rules applied to anyone operating in his classroom: being tardy was inexcusable, late work was not accepted, and absolutely no make-up exams. No exceptions. Claire had watched just a week prior as Doctor Simms denied a classmate his opportunity to participate in class after arriving late. The student missed that day’s lecture and subsequent pop quiz. 

Claire doubted that the very true, frightening story of Brianna being rushed to the hospital in the middle of the night would sway him. He was an older married man with no children, he wouldn’t understand the fear she felt. She was prepared for this exam, Claire knew she could easily ace it since she’d been able to answer all the practice questions with Joe. They both would be able to fly through the exam easily and Claire knew it would be a shame to let the opportunity to showcase her knowledge and learning potential go to waste. 

But then she looked at Brianna. The small little girl who had been a terror a few hours ago now peacefully slept under her mother’s palm and the watchful eyes of both her parents. 

If Jamie hadn’t taken her to the hospital when he did the outcome could have been much worse. Losing Faith had broken her heart and spirit. While Claire couldn’t remember the events that took place as she lay dazed and fevered in L'Hôpital des Anges, the feeling of losing Faith stuck with her. The feeling of absolute guilt and uncertainty of how to move on. If it hadn't been for Fergus she never would have left the hospital and slowly recuperated. Saving Jamie from the bastille had given her a purpose which she so desperately needed. 

As heartbreaking as it was, unlike with Faith, Claire and Jamie had spent months watching Brianna grow and bond with her. If anything happened to Brianna, Claire was sure both she and Jamie would be completely lost. Claire wouldn’t want to live anymore, she  _ couldn’t  _ live anymore if they lost another child. But Brianna was safe. She was okay and already on the mend. The smile on her still pale face as she slept reassured Claire of that much. 

Jamie’s hand on the small of her back rooted her to him and brought her from her thoughts. 

“You need to show those eejits what yer capable o’, Sassenach,” Jamie said, placing a kiss to her cheek. “Yer no’ just a Mam or wife, yer a smart woman who Bree will be so proud o’ one day; like I already am.” 

“What would I do without you?” Claire asked him honestly, nuzzling him. 

“Ye would be just fine, I ken it… but I suppose we never have tae test that, aye? I’ll always be here wi’ ye, no matter what.” Jamie took her by her hand and led her to the very uncomfortable looking armchair in the corner of the room. “Get some sleep,” he instructed, motioning for her to sit down. “I’ll wake ye in a few hours.” 

For the first time in their marriage, Claire did exactly as Jamie asked and rested back into the chair. The last thing she saw was Jamie hovering over Brianna before her eyes closed and she fell into a deep sleep. 

* * *

Jamie waved to Claire a final time as she blew him a kiss from the car before she drove away to take her exam. The sun shone brightly above his head as he waited for the car to leave his sight before he turned and walked back into the hospital. The lobby was more crowded now that it was a reasonable hour for hospital visits. Jamie rubbed his hands together to create some sense of warmth to cure his numbing fingers as he walked down the chilly hall. He gave nods and small smiles to the members of staff he passed on his way to Brianna’s room. They’d been incredibly nice to him, apparently seeing him as a worried parent rather than an idiot who knew absolutely nothing about healthcare. Jamie was entirely grateful for their understanding and patience as they explained every single thing they did to Brianna.

Brianna was doing so well they had moved her out of the emergency ward and into the pediatric unit. She was still under the weather, Jamie could easily tell, her eyes weren’t as bright and she periodically began to fuss, but it was nowhere near compared to the day before. She had the fighting spirit of a Fraser and the stubbornness of her mother, Jamie could vividly picture wee Brianna going toe-to-toe with her Auntie Jenny. There was no doubt in his mind that Jenny would’ve absolutely adored her niece, but Jenny didn’t take kindly to being bossed around or blatantly ignored. Jamie had a feeling Brianna would happily do both to annoy her Auntie and Jenny would be frustrated but love the lass no less. 

It was their current situation and closeness to the holidays that made him ache for his family more than usual. This was the first year they’d be properly celebrating any holiday in America. Briana had been born two days before Thanksgiving excusing them from attending the dinner at the Nelson’s. By the time December rolled around Jamie was still completely unaware of Christmas and Claire was too exhausted to teach him. They’d also been unable to celebrate Hogmanay, the first Jamie had spent without his sister or Murtagh by his side. But this year, things would be different as Claire had made plans. She wouldn’t tell him what, only that he’d love them. Jamie had no reason to doubt her. 

Brianna was standing in her crib with her hands held tightly against the wooden frame as he entered the room. She greeted him with a shriek of glee and stretched one of her chubby little hands towards him. 

“Good morning Bree, did ye sleep weel?” Jamie asked knowing full well she’d slept like a rock the night before; a combination of medication and weariness from the fever. “Yer my brave lass, ye are, look at ye.” Jamie smiled and carefully lifted her out of the crib. Brianna settled against his chest with his hand against her back firmly holding her to him. He kissed the side of her head as she gently grabbed his nose with a bright smile. She turned her head, looking around the room for her mother, Jamie assumed and when she didn’t see Claire she broke into a wail.

“Lassie, dinna weep! Dinna weep, a leannan, dinna be troubled,” he said, rubbing her gently to soothe her. “It's all right, m' annsachd; it's all right. Mam will be back shortly, I promise ye until then it’s just ye and me. She’s got her wee exam and then she’ll be back, she would never leave ye.” 

With Jamie bouncing her gently it didn’t take for Brianna to settle down enough to where Jamie felt comfortable placing her back in her crib. Her previous troubles forgotten, Brianna played with her bunny as Jamie sat into one of the chairs and sighed with relief. He picked up the sports magazine that he’d grabbed from the lobby the night before and resumed his place. Soon after, Jamie fell asleep with the magazine resting on his chest and Brianna playing contently in her crib. 

What felt like hours later but actually mere minutes, Jamie grunted awake from the shouts of a loud voice.

“Where is she?” 

Jamie frowned and watched as Frank practically tore through the room in a panic before relaxing when his eyes landed on Brianna. 

“Oh darling, thank heavens,” Frank rushed to Brianna’s crib and placed a kiss on the top of her head.

“Frank?” Jamie asked, standing up from his chair. “What are ye doing here? Yer supposed to be at that conference.” 

“What? Did you really think I wouldn’t come?” Frank said with a tsk. “Not that anyone bothered to call me–I had to find out from the bloody insurance company.” 

Jamie stared at him in confusion. 

Frank sighed before he began, “Insurance? You know, the thing that I pay for that takes care of medical needs? The hospital sent an invoice to my chap at the company who called me personally early this morning to ask me if everything was all right. Imagine my surprise to find that Bree had been taken to the hospital in the middle of the night. I got on the first flight back home; that’s not how I should have found out about this. I should have been called.” Frank explained, looking away from Jamie and back down at Brianna who was blissfully unaware of the tension in the room. 

“I should have been called the moment she was ill, not after she was taken to the hospital.” Frank smoothed down a couple of loose red wisps on the top of Brianna’s head. 

“Ye didn’t need to know,” Jamie said. 

“Really?”Frank snorted. 

“No!” Jamie shouted, shooting a glance at Brianna to make sure she was okay. “I’m her Da, no’ you, and I dinna like ye walkin’ around like ye are.” 

“She has my name,”

“She’s got mine as weel and there’s more tae bein’ a Da than sharing a name.” 

“I’m the one whose name is on her birth record,” Frank pointed out. “Both you and Claire seem to forget that legally I’m her father, not you. I could easily have you banned from the hospital if I wanted.” 

“Ye wouldna' dare!” 

They were nose to nose at this point in their argument. Both men seething with barely repressed anger and even though Jamie towered above Frank the latter didn’t back down. They stared wordlessly, letting the electricity of the room run through their bones as they tensed and gritted their teeth. They both knew the next phase of their fight would be physical, but neither man wanted to be the instigator given their location and proximity to Brianna. The first man to throw a physical blow would be deemed dangerous by the hospital and immediately removed from the room, unlikely to be able to return. 

Jamie bit his lip until the taste of iron ran over his tongue and Frank’s fists shook slightly. 

“Da?” 

Their looks of anger melted into confusion as their bodies relaxed and both turned slightly to find Brianna standing once more in her crib looking at them expectedly. The two men were standing shoulder to shoulder five feet from the crib where Brianna continued to stare at them. Seemingly frustrated when neither man moved forward, Brianna said once more, “Da!” 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm hoping to get chapters up more frequently now that school is over and I've been put on a 14-day quarantine. Happy holidays guys, stay safe out there!


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time jump of three years: Claire pays advocate to Frank at Brianna's insistence while Joe forces Jamie to confront the reality of their situation, ultimately defining the problems rather than finding solutions.

“No!” Brianna shouted, turning her head away from the spoon Claire was holding up to her mouth, “Don’t wanna!”

“Brianna Ellen,” Claire said clearly exasperated, “You will eat your peas or you won’t have any dessert.” Claire watched her daughter as the prospect of no dessert flashed across her face and her small mouth turned into a frown. Claire didn’t usually resort to threats, but she was in no mood for the daily struggle and Brianna was acting more stubborn than usual. Brianna considered the tradeoff, her head turning back to Claire before she quickly turned it away.

“Brianna…” Claire warned holding up the spoon.

“No!” the toddler shrieked once more seemingly resigned to her decision. Brianna pushed the spoon away from her causing peas to fly through the air and land on the otherwise pristine floor.

Claire sighed; it was clear that Brianna had no intention of eating her vegetables and didn’t seem to care that she was losing her dessert in the process. Claire set the now empty spoon down on the table and stared into the familiar set of dark blue eyes; Claire’s stubbornness and Jamie’s decisiveness made for a very opinionated, independent toddler. Once Brianna set her mind to anything she could rarely be convinced otherwise, and she’d decided long ago that she hated the small green mush that was peas.

After several minutes of mother and daughter sitting in complete silence staring at each other, one daring the other to move, Brianna took the plunge by pushing her plate of food away from her. Claire shook her head and pushed the plate back to its previous position in front of Brianna. Claire had challenged the mighty Dougal MacKenzie, turned the aristocratic society of Paris on its heels, and moved along the army of Bonnie Prince Charles; she wasn’t going to let a four-year-old beat her. No matter how willful or absolutely adorable her daughter was, Claire wasn’t going to back down.

Their silence was broken by the sound of the front door swinging open and subsequently closing. They continued to stare at each other, though both of them listened intently to the noises coming from the other room. The moment she heard the unmistakable Scottish sound Claire’s body instantly relaxed, Jamie was finally home. Brianna seemed to have the same realization; her little legs kicked excitedly under the table while her neck craned to get a glimpse of him from around Claire.

“There’s my lassies!” Jamie said, walking into the room and bending down to kiss Claire’s cheek.

“Da!” Brianna shouted, holding her arms towards him.

“No,” Claire said, stopping Jamie by placing a hand on his thigh as he moved towards Brianna. “She’s not to move until she finishes her dinner.” If looks could kill Brianna would’ve just ended her mother’s life. Jamie glanced between his two girls before his eyes landed on the pea covered plate.

“Och…” Jamie sighed in understanding, “Bree, a leannan, can ye no just eat yer peas? Why must we go through this every night?”

“Don’t like peas, Da,” Brianna responded, aiming her puppy-eyes at her father.

“I ken ye don’t,” Jamie moved and knelt so his eyes were level with Brianna’s, “But sometimes we have to do things we dinna want to do. Do ye understand, Bree?”

Brianna shook her head.

“I dinna like being away from ye and Mam all day, but I have to for work. If I dinna go to work then we willna have money. So, even though I dinna want to, I do it anyway.”

Claire watched Jamie through his small speech, he always had a way with words and if anyone was going to convince Brianna to eat her peas, it would be him. Jamie and Brianna had a connection Claire would be lying if she said she wasn’t jealous of. The older Brianna became, the more she seemed to look towards Jamie for comfort. Claire was the quintessential ‘bad guy’ of parenting, she was the one Brianna battled against so often, while Jamie swooped in at the last moment and saved the day. She’d be furious if her heart didn’t melt every time at the sight of them. They shared a bond and understanding which Claire hoped they would never lose.

“Okay, Da,” Brianna nodded, picking up her spoon and shoving peas into her mouth.

“There’s my good lass,” Jamie stood and kissed the top of Brianna’s head. “I dinna want to hear about ye givin’ yer Mam any more trouble, ye ken? Ye need to listen to her and obey. She’s yer Mam and she’s kens best.”

“Sorry, Mama,” Brianna apologized between bites of peas.

“It’s all right, darling,” Claire assured her daughter with a smile.

“Dessert?” Brianna looked from Jamie to Claire as she swallowed the last bite of peas.

“Aye,” Jamie nodded after getting the okay from Claire, “Go and get some puddin’ for us.” He stood to the side as Brianna scooted herself out of the chair; he let her be independent, understanding she needed to figure things out on her own, but was ready to step in if she ever needed him. Brianna grinned in triumph before running into the kitchen to grab them her favorite sweet. “How was yer day?” Jamie took the seat next to Claire and pulled her hands into his.

“Good,” Claire gave him an excited smile. “Joe and I are at the top of the class, much to the professor's chagrin. I can’t believe in just a few weeks, it’ll all be over. Joe wants to do our residency together and I like that idea, it would be nice to have a friend close by.”

“Have ye thought about where ye want to go?”

Claire’s smile widened, “Yes, actually, we have. We’re thinking of Mass General. It’s close to home and I really appreciate how kind they were when Brianna was there. Do you remember how attentive the nurses were? Even the doctor treated me with respect, and that’s what I want to be a part of.”

Jamie rubbed his chin, “I remember quite weel. I think ye’d do great there, Sassenach, I canna think o’ a better place for ye.”

“Really?”

“Aye,” Jamie moved in with a smile and kissed her. Claire leaned into his touch, her hands separating from his as they snaked up and wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer. Jamie groaned under her assault, his thumbs tracing light circles on the expanse of her hips. They lost themselves in each other’s embrace, not caring where they were or who might stumble upon them, they focused only on each other, blissfully unaware of the happenings around them. The only thing that could make them separate and did so quite often, was Brianna’s tiny hands pushing her parents apart.

“That’s gross!” Brianna said to her parents. Claire couldn’t help but laugh at Jamie’s reddening face and their daughter’s comment.

“Come here, Darling,” Claire hugged Brianna, “Did you find the pudding?”

“Yes,” Brianna nodded, bending down to grab the containers she had set on the floor. “But only two.”

“Da and I will share,” Claire grabbed the vanilla pudding from Brianna’s hand, knowing full well Brianna would want chocolate and motioned to Jamie.

“But,” Brianna glanced from Claire to Jamie. “Da, you didn’t eat your dinner first.” Claire covered her mouth with her hand to suppress her laugh as Brianna continued, “No dessert until you eat.”

“Och, that’s verra true, Bree. Da does need to eat first, aye?” Jamie said to Brianna, doing his signature failed wink in Claire’s direction. “Ye wouldna be willin’ to help Da wi’ his peas, would ye?”

“No!” Brianna laughed as Jamie scooped her up into his lap. “Da!” She squealed when Jamie began peppering kisses to her neck and tickling her abdomen.

“All right you two, settle down,” Claire said, standing from the chair with her hands on her hips in mock anger as Jamie and Brianna stilled. “Bree, I need you to watch Da and make sure he eats his dinner. All of it. Can you do that?”

“Yes, Mama.” Brianna nodded.

“I’ll grab you a plate, soldier.” She ran a hand against his back as she passed him on her way into the kitchen.

They settled into their nightly routine with ease. Jamie ate his supper with Brianna idly chattering nonsense to him at his side as Claire went over her notes from that day’s lecture. By the time he was finished, Claire would whisk Brianna upstairs to get settled for bed while Jamie cleaned the kitchen. Jamie put away the leftovers, making sure to set aside a plate for Frank and purposely giving the other man the smallest piece of chicken. Once the food was taken care of, Jamie washed the dishes then wiped the counters and dining table. When he was finished, Jamie walked up the stairs to take a quick shower before joining Claire in Brianna’s room to put her down for the night.

Jamie could stare at them for hours.

Claire was huddled next to Brianna in the toddler’s bed still dressed in her day clothes while Brianna donned her jammies. Brianna’s head rested on Claire’s shoulder as Claire read from the open book in her hands. Brianna knew all of the books by heart, she could recite them perfectly from memory as her parents read off the script. But tonight, it seemed, Brianna was not interested in _Goodnight Moon_.

“Tell me a story, Mama,” Brianna said, pushing the green-covered book closed. Claire set the book on Brianna’s nightstand and ran her hand along Brianna’s back.

“Which story, my love?”

“The one about the Scottish warrior and little French boy.”

“Oh? That one, huh?” Claire looked up and noticed Jamie leaning against the doorframe. “I think Da knows that one better than I do.”

Brianna followed her mother's gaze and perked at the sight of Jamie, “Will you tell me the story, Da? Please! Just once!”

Jamie chuckled, knowing it was never just once, “Och, might as weel.” Jamie heaved himself away from the door and settled onto the opposite side of the bed, sandwiching Brianna between her parents. Jamie was far too large for Brianna’s bed, his feet went over the edge, and half of his arse hung over open air. But nonetheless, he was with girls and he wouldn’t want to be anywhere else, no matter how physically uncomfortable he may be.

The moment Jamie was sure he wasn’t about to fall off the bed, he began, “Once upon a time…”

* * *

“Say cheese!” the photographer said aiming his camera at them.

Jamie held Claire to his side with one arm wrapped around her waist with his other hand resting on Brianna’s shoulder. They did as the photographer commanded and all smiled, they waited until after the subsequent flash ended before they moved. Brianna ran away from her parents to stand next to the photographer while Jamie tucked a loose curl behind Claire’s ear and kissed her cheek. She looked absolutely beautiful in her light grey pantsuit.

“I’m so proud of ye, Claire,” he said, resting their foreheads together.

“And I, you, Jamie, you’re officially–” 

“Get one with Uncle Joe!” Brianna shouted, interrupting her mother. Jamie chuckled and moved out of the way to stand with Brianna so Joe could take his place. Claire and Joe stood side by side clutching their diplomas in their hand and grinning at the camera. The camera flashed once more and Jamie had to grab Brianna to keep her from running off.

“Slow down, lass.” Jamie told her.

“I’m just excited!” Brianna yelled, bouncing on her feet. “Mama’s a doctor and you’re a… a…” Brianna trailed off, unsure of the word she was looking for.

“Citizen?” Jamie supplied for her.

“Yes! You’re like me, Da, we belong here.”

“Bree,” Jamie encased her in a hug and kissed the top of her hair. “We belonged here long before we got the paperwork sayin’ we did.”

“Your Da’s right, Brianna.” Joe said, walking over with Claire to join the pair. “It’s fascinating how far we’ve all come, isn’t it?”

“Don’t go soft on me, Doctor Abernathy.” Claire nudged Joe’s shoulder softly.

“Wouldn’t dream of it, Doctor Randall,” Joe responded.

“Daddy Frank!” Brianna suddenly shouted. 

The three adults turned to watch as Brianna– having escaped from Jamie’s grasp –ran towards Frank the moment he walked through the door. Jamie and Joe both tensed while Clarie sighed in defeat. Apparently, Frank’s promise to stay out of the way was broken, though Claire doubted Frank had any real intention of keeping it anyway. Frank lifted Brianna into a hug and twirled her in a circle before setting her back down and the two began talking quietly. Soon, much to what seemed to be Frank’s reluctance, Brianna dragged him over to the group.

“Mama, you and Daddy Frank should get your picture taken,” Brianna said, looking hopefully between the two adults in question.

Claire looked to Jamie who grimly nodded his consent, they both knew that if they denied Brianna her picture she’d likely collapse into a meltdown; something they were trying to avoid since they were surrounded by guests. While Claire, Frank, and Brianna were being positioned by the photographer, Joe led Jamie to the back of the room until they were out of earshot of other people. Joe commanded Jamie’s attention by clearing his throat and placing a glass of champagne into Jamie’s hand. Jamie drained its contents with one swig and quickly refilled his glass.

“When are you going to do something about this?” Joe motioned to the space that separated Jamie from the rest of his family. “This has gone on for far too long, man.”

“I ken, I ken,” Jamie mumbled, swirling his drink. “We dinna have many options, I dinna think we can even do somethin’ to remedy this…”

“Why don’t they just get a divorce? It’s clear that none of you are happy with this arrangement–if you ever were– Claire has you and Frank has that girlfriend of his. What’s the problem? If it’s a matter of citizenship since you’re one now, you could sponsor Claire even though her occupation would be reason enough.”

“The problem, Joe, is Brianna,” Jamie explained. “She doesna ken about all this, she loves Frank,” Jamie grit his teeth, it pained him to admit it even though he knew it wasn’t Brianna’s fault, Frank had been just as big of a part of her life as her parents. “Even though we want to, we canna just rip her from him. It would hurt her.”

“He’s a bastard! I never liked him.”

“I ken that, Joe, and I appreciate ye for it,” Jamie placed a hand on Joe’s shoulder, “But Frank… he could try and take Brianna if we tried anythin’.”

“Which would only prove that he’s no good,” Joe reasoned. 

“I agree, wi’ ye, but still. We’re no’ willin’ to risk anythin’ happenin’ to her. We just have to bide our time and wait.”

“Cheers to you, Fraser, you definitely need it.” Joe held up his glass and Jamie quickly returned the sentiment.

The rest of the celebration flew by quickly and with relative ease. The adults were cordial if only for pretense and Brianna’s sake; Jamie had to stop himself numerous times from snapping at Frank, but Claire’s hand on his arm provided great comfort. Brianna was tuckered out by seven and Jamie happily took the escape opportunity to put her to bed, he said farewell to Joe and his wife before Jamie retired upstairs with Brianna. Despite her exhaustion, it took a warm bubble bath and three stories before Brianna was officially out for the night. Jamie made sure she was firmly tucked under her blanket with her rabbit in her arms before preparing himself for bed.

He longed to be with Claire and even though she was only a floor below him, Jamie made no move to be with her. He wasn’t in the mood to play cheerful host to the remaining friends and colleagues of his wife and instead chose to lay silently, staring at the black ceiling above his head. He wasn’t sure exactly how long it took, it couldn’t have been more than a couple of hours before the bedroom door opened and Claire walked through. She shut the door behind her and carefully took off her earrings making sure to place them in her jewelry box before she stripped off her clothes.

Jamie closed his eyes and listened as Claire started her nightly shower, he had half a mind to join her, he was tense and wouldn’t have minded the resulting release it would have offered, but he decided against it. It seemed Claire was in no better of a mood than he was judging by the cursing emanating from the adjoined bathroom. She finished a few minutes later and kept the bathroom light on long enough to dress in her camise, after which she turned off the light and sat onto the bed next to him. Since she remained seated instead of lying down, Jamie knew Claire had something on her mind.

“Claire?” He reached over and placed a hand on her back. “Are ye all right?”

He could feel her tense underneath his hand.

“There’s something I need to tell you,” she began slowly.

“Is it Frank?” He sat up quickly. “Did he do somethin’? I swear I’ll kill him if he–”

“No!” Claire assured, turning to face him. “This isn’t about Frank, though we need to have a conversation about that later.” Jamie nodded his agreement.

“What is it, mo chridhe? Ye ken ye can tell me anythin’.”

“I know I just…” she hesitated. She shifted into a better position to face him properly and took his hands in hers. “I’m not sure how you’re going to feel about this.” 

“About what? Claire?”

“I think I’m pregnant.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Joe and Jamie's talk is meant to answer some of the questions you guys have been leaving in the comments. Jamie is well aware of the problem at hand but is currently unwilling to do anything because at the end of the day, Brianna is happy and taken care of. But we all know that when parents stay in a miserable situation because of their children, rarely anyone ends up truly happy.


End file.
